


Kaikamahine and Makua- Father and Daughter

by HannahJane



Series: Like Father, Like Daughter... And No One is Surprised [1]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Episode Related, Gen, Sort of episode tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-23
Updated: 2014-11-23
Packaged: 2018-02-26 18:41:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 32,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2662376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HannahJane/pseuds/HannahJane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Prospero the Enchanter's immediate reaction upon meeting his daughter is the simple declaration of, "Well, fuck." - The Night Circus</p>
<p>Or:</p>
<p>Steve McGarrett has been a father all along.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This started off as a series of i-pod challenges that were supposed to cover things that were happening behind the scenes during the first season of Hawaii Five-0 while answering the question: what would happen if Steve McGarrett had a child. It kind of turned into a lot more than that. Formerly posted on FF.net

**1\. My Girl- The Temptations**

Steve McGarrett's second call – after he calls the HPD to alert them to what has just happened at his father's house – is to number 1 on his speed-dial. It goes straight to voicemail and his heart clenches violently in his chest.

"Hi, I'm not answering the phone right now because I _might_ be doing something I'm not supposed to be. Feel free to leave a message, but unless you're my father, it'll probably be a bit before I call back…. Oh, and if this is Dad or Grandpa, I swear it's not actually something that I'm not supposed to, but it might be morally reprehensible."

The phone beeps, an indication that he should start talking, but all Steve can do is stare blindly at the dead body of Anton Hesse as he thumbs the disconnect button.

 

* * *

 

 

**2\. I'm Shipping Up To Boston- Dropkick Murphy's**

The front door flies open, startling Steve out of the pensive state that he's been in, just standing on the porch. The teenager standing in the doorway with her arms folded tightly across her chest is an almost mirror image of him, except for the long wavy dark hair and the eyes that are purely her mother's.

"You're screwing with my barely functioning zen here." She says deadpan, her hazel-green eyes huge in her slender face. "Either get in here or go brood somewhere else." Steve is frozen, torn between a tactical retreat and an all out offensive. The girl rolls her eyes and decides for him by stepping out onto the porch, worming her way into his arms with an ease that comes from years of practice.

"Hi, Daddy," she sighs against his chest full of medals, hands clutching the back of his coat. For the first time since his father's death, Steve breathes a sigh of relief, burying his nose in his daughter's thick hair and inhaling the familiar scent as tears threaten to cloud his vision.

 

* * *

 

 

**3\. Body Language- Jesse McCartney**

"How's Layla handling all this?" the question catches Steve off-guard and he feels his shoulders hunch defensively at the mention of his daughter's name as if he can protect her simply by keeping her name all to himself. Chin arches an eyebrow at him in curiosity, no malice obvious in his face.

"How do you know about Layla?" Steve asks, his tone sharper than he means it to be. Chin's eyebrow just quirks a little higher on his forehead.

"She stayed with him a lot. Came to police functions and your father used to brag about her all the time. He liked to play the proud grandpa card." Chin explains, spreading his hands in front of him in what might be a surrender gesture.

Steve just nods and tries to get the muscles in his back to unknot because he doesn't have anything to worry about from Chin and having his hackles up all the time is becoming exhausting.

"Relax, _brah_ ," Chin says, dropping a hand on his shoulder and Steve is happy that . "She's probably the only teenage girl on the whole island who has an entire police force at her beck and call if she wants it." After their discovery about the mole in the department, Steve doesn't find that as comforting as he usually would.

 

* * *

 

 

**4\. All I Wanna Do- Sheryl Crow**

When Danny talks about Grace and how much he hates Hawaii, but that he's here for his daughter, Steve's heart clenches painfully. He wants to talk to Danny about Layla, wants this animosity that's built up between the two of them to go away and for the two of them to bond over vengeful exes and amazing kids, but he's having a hard time thinking about Layla without feeling the overwhelming crush of grief and guilt, so he keeps his mouth shut and just nods as Danny talks with his hands.

It's just pure luck that the conversation drifts from kids to Kono and Steve finds himself on far firmer ground because if there's one thing he can do, it's talk about beautiful women. Danny's obviously enchanted and Steve is very willing to sit and listen to his new partner babble on about the rookie and her right hook.

 

* * *

 

 

**5\. Nothing Can Come Between Us- Theory of a Deadman**

"Strike Force? Seriously? Dad, I don't think you can work with this woman. She's got terrible taste." Layla says as she tosses her overnight bag onto the couch and takes a look around the living room. He can tell that she's noticed the spot on the floor where the blue rug had laid -- because he'd scrubbed his father's blood off of everything else and CSU had done him the favor of removing the blood-soaked rug -- knows it by the way that her slender shoulders tense up and how she fiercely shoves her hands in her pockets.

Maybe it was too soon. Bringing her here, bringing her home.

"Hey, Layla, come here. Don't look over there." Steve orders, a little bit of the Navy leaking into his voice and she reacts like the good little sailor he'd half raised her to be. His daughter throws herself into his arms, body shaking under the weight of tears that have clearly been held back for too long.

"It's okay," Steve says, stroking his good hand over her hair, a gesture that he hasn't been able to perform for a very long time. Tears brim in his own eyes as he holds the quaking form in his arms, feeling the twinge from the injury to his arm and ignoring the pain because right now, his daughter is more important.

"It's all okay, _keiki_. I'm here now. I'm here for you and I'm not going anywhere."


	2. Ohana

**1\. Low Rider- War**

"Get out of bed." If someone had used that tone of voice on Steve McGarrett when he was in Basic, he'd have been out of his rack so fast he would have left scorch marks on his sheets. As it stands now, the body in the bed just grunts and rolls over, burrowing deeper into the covers.

" _Layla_ ," Steve tries to make his voice even more threatening, but it would help if the focus of that voice is awake enough to understand the nuances of his tone. The body in the bed is barely conscious and is therefore immune. Steve looks at the diver's watch on his wrist, glowers at the time, and steps into the room. This isn't going to end well…

for either of them…

… especially if his daughter keeps taking swings at him as he physically drags her off the bed, blankets and all.

 

* * *

 

 

**2\. A Little Less Conversation (Remix)- Elvis Presley**

Seconds after Steve hangs up with the Governor about the attack downtown, Layla comes stumbling down the stairs in a pair of shorts so short they make Steve's eyes water, dragging her backpack behind her like a ball and chain. Danny takes one look at the teenage girl and then gives Steve the most accusing look that he thinks he may have ever gotten.

"You didn't tell me you had a daughter." While Steve is impressed with his partner's ability to deduce their relationship with a glance - and even more glad that his partner doesn't think his daughter is a prostitute because of how she's dressed – he bristles at Danny's tone. Layla comes to his rescue albeit in a different manner than Steve would prefer.

"And _he_ didn't tell me his partner was an oompah-loompah." She says, slinging her backpack onto her shoulder, dismissing Danny as she turns to Steve.

"So, are you dropping me off at school or what?"

 

* * *

 

 

**3\. Green Onions- Booker T and the MGs**

"She's… charming." Danny finally says as Steve smoothly maneuvers the car onto the K'olau highway, headed toward Hickman Air Force base and their meeting with the General.

"Who?" Steve asks, trying to keep up with his partner's mental processes. Danny flails out with his right hand, making an obscure gesture that could be anything from Kono to the woman who had sold them their coffee that morning.

"Your daughter; McGarrett Jr.," he says, the inflection in his voice suggesting that being McGarrett Jr. isn't quite the honor that one might think it is. Steve doesn't know whether to be offended or just be relieved that Danny doesn't seem too upset about the omission of his daughter's existence from their partnership.

"Get's it from her mother." Steve says because of all the habits that Layla could have picked from Nani, not being a morning person is probably the least dangerous.

"Not _all_ of it." He hears Danny mutter under his breath, but Steve refuses to rise to the bait.

 

* * *

 

 

**4\. Gangsta Bop- Akon**

"You have an amazing way with children." Danny's voice is brimming with sarcasm and Steve looks up from examining the grip of his weapon to find that even Chin is giving him a bemused look. He looks at the elevator doors that have just closed on the rapidly retreating family.

"What?" he asks, his forehead furrowing. Sometimes Danny speaks and Steve has no idea what the hell he's talking about.

"Nothing," Danny says, a faint smirk on his face. Steve puts the whole conversation out of his head as they continue their hunt for the suspect. It's not till after when Danny is in the car yelling at him for hanging Ivanovich off the roof that Steve realizes that maybe he needs to take it down a notch, especially now that he's back on the Island and back in Layla's life.

Of course, he'll never admit any of this to Danny.

 

* * *

 

 

**5\. Fuego- Pitbull**

Danny is getting tipsy as he works his way through his third draft beer, Kono is out on the dance floor with a local boy, Chin is keeping an eye on both of them, and Steve is nursing his second beer of the night when his phone buzzes in his pocket. He pulls it out, finding a text message waiting for him.

_I'm on a hunger strike until Mo stops trying to turn me into a vegetarian. Will you buy me a burger tomorrow?_

Steve chuckles at his daughter's message and quickly taps out an affirmative response, making a mental note to ensure that he clears an hour in his schedule for lunch with his daughter. After all, he's got an amazing way with children, especially when they're his.


	3. Malama Ka Aina

**1\. Are You Gonna Be My Girl- Jet**

"...history assignment from fucking hell."

" _Language,_ "

"Yes, actually, it's called English."

"No, you juvenile delinquent; I meant, watch your language."

"Fine… sorry,"

"It's all good. So, that's a 'no' on the football game then?"

"I would, but I procrastinated and it's due tomorrow and I already flunked a test this quarter, so…"

"All right; I'll call later to see how it's going, okay?"

"Okay, Aloha, Dad."

"Aloha, _keiki_ ,"

 

* * *

 

 

**2\. Thing For You- Hinder**

Danny's angry at him again, but Steve is now capable of figuring out when Danny's actually pissed and when he's scared and words are spilling out of his mouth because he can't automatically fix what's wrong.

Watching Grace cling to her father's hand, Steve is suddenly filled with an overwhelming desire to call Layla, but he tamps it down by dragging Danny back to the office, listening to him rant and rave about the football player who Steve had let go.

Once back at the office, he allows himself a brief moment of parental meltdown, alone in the bathroom, where he stares at the mirror and is overwhelmed with relief that Layla hadn't been at the game.

* * *

 

 

**3\. Guardian Angel- Red Jumpsuit Apparatus**

"You weren't held enough as a child, were you?" the minute the words are out of Danny's mouth, he knows that it's a low-blow. Steve's expression doesn't change, but his eyes go flat and his voice is low and measured as he replies.

"It's called tough love." The former SEAL spins tightly on one heel and walks away, leaving Danny staring after him, wishing he could take it back. He doesn't have to be a shrink to know that something's been bugging Steve since the game this afternoon. He's just been so wrapped up in his own drama with Rachel that he's failed to notice that Steve keeps checking his phone every few minutes and the look of relief that floods his face whenever he gets a text.

After all, Danny isn't the only father on the task force anymore.

* * *

 

 

**4\. Walk This Way- Run D.M.C.**

"So, how does this work?" Danny asks, tipping his beer bottle up, the sun gleaming against the green glass.

"The shark tank? I think it's pretty self-explanatory, Danno." Steve replies, grinning down at his partner. Danny gives him an exasperated look, the wind doing its best to damage his impressive pompadour.

"No, I mean with Layla; do you have full custody?" Steve nods in understanding, taking a swallow of his own beer. The boat rocking in the waves, sun beaming, beer with a maybe-friend… suspect in a shark-tank; this was turning out to be a pretty good day.

"I have full custody, but she lives with Mo, her aunt. She used to stay with my father too."

"And your ex?" suddenly Steve doesn't want to talk anymore, the words drying up in this throat at the mention of Nani. Danny seems to sense this because he stands up and peers out at the horizon.

"Think we should go pick him up yet?"

* * *

 

 

**5\. Faithfully- Glee version**

"You are a big old teddy bear." Layla says as she puts the platter of pork chops on the table, then turns to go back into the kitchen. Steve is briefly distracted by the golden crispy patties, but the words sink in and he turns back to his daughter.

"What do you mean?" he asks her retreating back.

"Getting the Governor to talk to your partner's ex about their daughter," she says as she comes back into the dining room, a gravy boat in one hand and a bowl of mashed potatoes in the other. Steve recognizes his mother's old dishes, packed away when his father had assumed the bachelor life and wonders not for the first time, what life had been like for Layla when her grandfather was still alive.

"Did you really have to cook so much food?" he asks, staring at the small feast that covers his kitchen table and not so surreptitiously changing the subject.

"Leftovers, Dad; because I'm pretty sure you'd starve to death without me or eat nothing but spinach protein shakes and quinoa." Steve watches as the same smile that appears to him every morning in the mirror crosses his daughter's face and finds himself returning it as he pulls her into a hug.


	4. Lanakila

**1\. La Bamba- Richie Valens**

"Mary's coming home." Her ex-brother-in-law probably doesn't realize how morose he sounds, slumped over at Monroe's kitchen table, facedown in the tablecloth. Monroe rolls her eyes at the dramatics and opens the cabinet above the sink for mugs, the smell of freshly brewed coffee permeating the air.

"This a bad thing, _brah_?" she asks, filling a mug for herself and then one for Steve, carrying both to the table and then going back for the sugar and creamer. Unsurprisingly, Steve sits up and starts drinking the scalding liquid black. Monroe shudders at the thought.

"Mo, last time Mary was on the island was for my mother's funeral and she went on a bender and stole a car. I know you were busy with school at the time, but you can imagine how well that went." Monroe curls a lip, remembering the ugly incident quite vividly. It also hadn't helped that Steve had been balancing his mother's death, his father's emotional breakdown, a brand new baby girl, and an emotionally-constipated baby mama all that same time.

"The women in your family are _lolo_ , McGarrett. Present company excluded of course." she says and takes a sip of her coffee as Steve goes facedown on the table again.

 

* * *

 

**2\. Drunker Than Me- Trent Tomilson**

"Hello?" the young voice on the other end is suspicious and Mary McGarrett smiles at how much that one word reminds her of her big brother.

"Layla, it's Mary." The officer standing at the door really doesn't seem that bothered by the fact that she's sitting at her brother's desk, flipping through the contact list on his desk, rifling through his drawers. He just looks bored.

"Hi!" the word is two decibels below a shriek and Mary has to pull the phone away from her ear for a minute. "I didn't know you were in town, Aunt Mary." Mary grimaces at the 'a' word.

"Yeah, well, it's kind of a surprise visit. How about you swing by your dad's office and we can catch up?" she says, so desperate for something to do that she's trying to corrupt her underage niece.

"Sure! How about I bring burgers? From Mackies?" Mary's stomach rumbles at the thought and she smiles again. Well, at least the youngest McGarrett isn't _totally_ like her father.

* * *

 

**3\. Feedback- Janet Jackson**

Danny's not sure who's more surprised at running smack-dab into each other: Steve's daughter or him. The teenager has a guilty expression on her face and a pair of car keys in her hand and Danny isn't entirely sure the two aren't mutually exclusive.

"It's generally not a good idea to skulk around a police station looks suspicious." He says, leaning on his cane as he looks Layla over with a practiced paternal eye. She glowers at him while surreptitiously scanning the area around them, clearly on the look-out for her father.

"And besides shouldn't you be in school?" he asks, making it a point to give his watch an exaggerated glance. Last time he'd checked -- even taking into account "Island time" -- school on a Wednesday wasn't out at 1:15 pm.

"If you tell my Dad, I'll break your other knee." Layla says, narrowing her eyes at him in what he's sure is supposed to be intimidation. Danny just smiles because she may look like an Islander, but there might just be a hint of Jersey in this girl.

* * *

 

**4\. Happy Together- The Turtles**

As they wait for the Coroner's office to slog through the jungle to pick up Dawkins' body, Steve sits against the base of a nearby banyan tree and scrubs a hand across his face. An out of nowhere chuckle from Danny makes him look up at his partner who is seated opposite him, shaking his head, a broad smile on his face.

"What?" Steve is instantly suspicious.

"Your daughter, man; she really is your kid, isn't she?" Danny says, laughter making his blue eyes crinkle at the corners.

"Um… yeah; last time I checked." Steve says, wondering at his partner's latest burst of insanity.

"Three McGarrett's on one little island." Danny muses. "I don't think the world's ready for that yet."

* * *

 

**5\. California Love- Tupac**

Steve can tell by the time lapse between his ringing the doorbell and the sounds of scurrying feet coming down the hall that his daughter doesn't even bother to check the peephole before throwing the front door wide open.

"Aunt Mary made me do it." Layla blurts out, eyes wide with feigned innocence. "She's an emotional terrorist."

"Hey!" Mary protests from Steve's elbow, but he ignores his little sister.

"You skipped school." He says, folding his arms over his chest and glaring at Layla, who suddenly won't meet his gaze.

"Yeah, but I hung out in a police station so at least you know I wasn't getting into  trouble." She offers, the smile that accompanies it withering under Steve's gaze.

"Grounded." He says and when Layla opens her mouth to protest, he adds, "for two weeks." The glare that she gives him tells Steve that this is going to be the longest two weeks of his life. 


	5. Nalowale

**1\. Feeling Good- Nina Simone**

Looking back on it, there are a lot worse things that Layla could have walked in on her father doing. Pulling on a pair of cargo pants while he flirts with the naked woman in his bed is probably one of the tamer ones. Still, Layla slaps a hand over her eyes and whirls around, intent on fleeing when she runs into the door jamb, falling flat on her butt.

There's dead silence behind her and then she hears her father's droll voice.

"Feeling dramatic today, are we?"

"Steve, what's going on? Who is this?" the woman asks. Groaning, Layla picks herself up off the floor and glares at the man who is partly responsible for giving her life. Then she glares at the woman in the bed who has snatched up the sheet and is clinging to it. Then she glares at her father again.

"Aunt Mo and I made cookies last night. They're on the counter downstairs. I hope you choke on them." She says and spins on her heel, stomping out of the bedroom, down the stairs and out the front door without a backward look because if her father wants drama, she'll damn sure give it to him.

* * *

 

**2\. Love Will Keep Us Together- Captain and Tenille**

"It keeps going to voicemail." Steve says, shoving his phone into the cup holder a little harder than Danny thinks is necessary. "And she changed her message."

"To what?" Danny asks. Steve's good mood from earlier has dissipated, although whether it's because he's working a case that strikes close to home or because of whatever happened this morning with his daughter. Wordlessly, Steve grabs his phone, punches in a number and hits the speaker button.

"Hi, you've reached the Anti-Harlot Hotline. If you're a harlot, well, I'm sorry, but I just can't help you. Try going to church. If you're sleeping with a harlot, _like my father is_ ," this part is said with a particularly loud tone that makes Danny bite the inside of his lip to keep from smiling. "Don't worry. I'm sure that itchy rash will go away on its own. Oh, and leave a message if you're none of the above. Have a nice day!" Steve hangs up before the beep, glowering out the windshield.

Danny just slouches down in his seat because if he opens his mouth, he's going to burst out laughing.

* * *

 

**3\. Take It Off- The Donnas**

Catherine is pretty sure she's in hell. Between Steve's daughter this morning – and when the hell had he been planning on telling her about that? – and Steve's little sister standing in front of her, wearing a smug smile, she's gotta be pretty deep in the pit right now.

"Oh… and don't worry about Layla." Mary adds and Catherine groans. Of course, the younger McGarrett heard that too.

"She doesn't like to share her dad. I'll talk to her today. Smooth things over." And then, still wearing that smug-as-hell smirk, Mary walks away, leaving Catherine standing in the bedroom doorway, wearing Steve's shirt and wishing she was back on the ship already.

* * *

 

**4\. Disturbia- Rihanna**

"Hey, Mo," Mary calls as she breezes past the room off the front door, heading upstairs towards her niece's room. The last thing she wants to do right now is talk her niece down from whatever emotional ledge that she's teetering on, but family comes before mysterious pictures of burnt-to-a-crisp bodies in beat-up tool-boxes.

"Hey, Mary," the woman calls back from behind her easel, adding. "Watch out, she's in a mood." Mary nods as she heads down the upstairs hall towards the bedroom at the end. The strains of some beat-heavy music leak out from around the door jamb and when Mary opens the door, she hits a wall of sound.

Layla is in the middle of her room, a whirl of motion that is beautiful and painful to watch at the same time. For a moment, Mary just stands in the doorway, watching her niece spin and twirl with the natural kind of grace that all dancers seem to have. The yellow tank-top that she wears is soaked with sweat and her hair hangs limply around her face as she leaps and sways.

Mary steps over to the sound-system by the bed and hits the pause button. Layla whirls around in the silence, chest heaving with exertion, arms trembling slightly, and with… tears in her eyes. Mary sighs.

"Oh, honey."

* * *

 

**5\. Follow That Sound- Sharon Little**

Steve glances over his shoulder at Catherine's sleeping form, sprawled across his bed, making sure that she's well and truly asleep before he quietly closes the bedroom door and pads downstairs to the living room.

He pulls his phone out of the pocket of the jeans that he just slid into and hits number 1 on his speed-dial. Listening through the acerbic voicemail message, he waits patiently for the beep and when it comes, he starts to speak.

"Layla, _keiki,_ I want you to listen to this message all the way through. I'm sorry, sweetheart." He stares out the window, remembering the angry conversation that he and Mary had had earlier. "I don't want to leave you out of any part of my life and I'm so very sorry for not telling you about Catherine. _You_ are the most important thing in my life and I promise that I will never keep anything from you ever again. If you want to talk, give me a call. Anytime; day or night. I'll always answer the phone. Don't shut me out; I love you, Layla."

And with that last declaration, he hangs up. 


	6. Ko'olauloa

**1\. Might As Well Be Walking On the Sun- Smashmouth**

"You know this whole not talking to me thing is going to get really awkward soon." Steve has always considered himself fairly adept at handling women. Women who are teens who are his daughter are apparently a whole different beast. Layla just continues to glare out the window as they drive down the winding road, hemmed in by jungle on either side.

"I mean, what if we needed to defuse a bomb or something? That would require talking." Out of the corner of his eye, he catches a faint upturn of his daughter's lips and the expression helps loosen some of the tension in his chest. The situation is fixable and until then, well… he's just going to take his licks like a man.

* * *

 

**2\. Dirty Vegas- INXS**

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Steve asks as he hunts through the deep grass, looking for evidence about the person who killed Ian Adams. There's a brief pause in the movement from Chin's searching and then the swishing of grass continues.

"Sure." Chin's tone is suspicious, but after the glacial morning spent with his daughter, Steve will try anything… except for talking to Danny. He'll keep that pint-sized advantage in his back pocket until absolutely necessary.

"Kono's like your little sister, right?" Chin stiffens and Steve sighs because that could have been interpreted in so many ways and Chin had automatically gone with the one that Steve had hoped he wouldn't.

"You know what? Never mind," Steve says, wishing this whole conversation had never even happened. "Let's just look for evidence.

* * *

 

**3\. Keeps Gettin' Better- Christina Aguilera**

In between their interrogation of Diego and Levi and driving back to the Five-0 HQ, Steve confesses the situation to Danny as he pulls his phone out, fully intending to call his daughter. With a put-upon sigh, Danny reaches over and takes the phone.

"What're you doing?" Steve asks, glaring at his partner as he tries half-heartedly to reclaim his phone while keeping an eye on the road in front of him.

"What does she like?" his partner insists, fending off his attacks with ease.

"What does who like?" Steve asks, giving up his struggle with a sigh because to battle Danny verbally is exhausting enough.

"Your daughter; what does she like? Does she like clothes? Books? M-16 assault rifles?" Danny persists, stressing the word 'daughter' like Steve's an idiot.

"Um… I'm not really sure." Steve replies because Layla has always been a little unique when it comes to her taste in anything.

"Well, figure it out and buy her something. Or do something with her. A meal, a movie. Figure it out, Super SEAL because she's a teenager and that means she can hold a grudge for much longer than the average female."

Steve sighs and slouches in the driver's seat.

* * *

 

**4\. Doin' Time- Sublime (okay, this one was a two-fer)**

"Are you okay?" Kono looks up from the paperwork spread across the desk in front of her, hastily wiping away the tears that had been gathering at the corners of her eyes. The girl in the doorway is pretty herself with long dark hair, captivating hazel eyes, and a familiar smile.

"Can I help you?" she asks, not trying to be rude, but not really in the mood for games. The girl shrugs.

"Can you get me out of a guilt-fueled pancake dinner with my dad?" the girl says, cocking her head to the side, the penguin earrings that she wears dangling with the motion.

"Your father?" Kono repeats dumbly, not really sure what's going on.

"Right… of course. He didn't tell you. Just one more thing to add to my list of reasons to-" the girl breaks off as Steve comes around the corner, shrugging into a black short-sleeved shirt. Kono smiles weakly at her boss who slings an arm around the girl's shoulders.

"Hey, Kono," Steve says, smiling back. "You okay?" she nods, slowly piecing things together. So McGarrett really _is_ a human being.

The girl looks at the arm around her shoulders, looks up at her father and then back at the arm which she shrugs off with an irritated gesture.

"You're a jerk," she says archly and spinning gracefully on one heel, stalks away. Steve smiles at Kono as if to say 'what can you do,' and chases after the girl. Kono catches herself smiling at the antics of the father/daughter duo and realizes that for the last few minutes she hasn't even thought about Ian.

* * *

 

**5\. Firecracker- Josh Turner**

Steve is not about to sit through another ice-storm of an evening with his daughter, so as the elevator passes the third floor, he reaches over and hits the stop button, the lift jarring to a stop.

"So help me, I'll scream kidnap. I swear I will." Layla says, rounding on him like a little green-eyed pitbull.

"I didn't tell you about Catherine and I'm sorry. Is that what you want to hear? What else do you want? Do you want me to grovel? Because I will get down on my knees right here in this elevator and beg if that's what it takes, Layla!" Steve feels his voice rise as they square off and he attempts to keep calm.

"I don't want you to beg! I don't want you to grovel! I just want you to tell people about _me_!" Layla shrieks. "You don't talk about me! I'm like some big ugly secret and I hate it! Grandpa used to tell _everyone_ about me!" Steve feels the blood drain from his face.

"I don't wanna talk right now." Layla says, stepping away from him, sequestering herself in the corner of the elevator. "Just take me home."

Feeling like someone's just ripped his heart out and stomped on it, Steve starts the elevator and stares blindly at the door. 


	7. Ho'apono

**1\. Beep- Pussycat Dolls feat. Will.**

The last person that Layla expects to see striding through the door of the dance studio is her Navy SEAL father, but there he is, in his combat boots, cargo pants and black t-shirt, sliding onto the bench between the soccer moms who are there to watch their little angels gyrate like music video hootchies. There are times when Layla regrets agreeing to help Ryan teach the beginner hip-hop class.

Her father catches her eye and flashes her a smile and despite how absolutely furious that she is with him, the thought that he showed up just to watch her teach a class makes her hesitantly smile back.

* * *

 

**2\. One, Two Step- Ciara feat. Missy Elliot**

"She smiled at me," Steve announces as he slides into the passenger seat, closing the door with as much enthusiasm as he made the proclamation with. Danny pulls away from the curb, merging easily into traffic, heading for the location of the latest threat to the health and happiness of Hawaii.

"You are making progress, young grasshopper." Danny says because for some reason even though Steve's daughter is so much older than Grace, he knows that he has more experience in the paternal field. Steve shoots him a dirty look.

"She's good with little kids. You should let her babysit Grace sometime." Steve says, staring out the window, still smiling.

Danny snorts.

* * *

 

**3\. Dirty Little Girl- Burn Halo**

His phone rings just as he steps out of the Wilson house, glad to be away from the blood and signs of a clearly unhappy marriage. Danny fishes the offending item out of his pocket and frowns at the unknown number on the front of it. The phone stops ringing as he stares at it, but as he goes to put it back into his pocket, it rings again with the same number. This time he answers.

"Danny Williams."

"Hi. Dad gave me your phone number, in case of an emergency." It takes Danny a few seconds to put a face to the words, but when he does, he sighs.

"It's 9:56 am. Shouldn't you be in biology class or something?" he asks, walking down the front walk towards his car.

"Good morning to you too," Layla McGarrett grumps at him. "And for the record, I'm taking a mental health day."

"You're sixteen. What do you need a mental health day for?" he snorts, pulling his car keys out and unlocking the door.

"Maybe it's because I am looking at the television, watching a breaking news story about a crazed Navy SEAL who has taken hostages on the USS Missouri. Hi; I'm Layla McGarrett, I don't know if you've met my father, Commander Bat-Shit Insane." she snaps. Realization hits Danny like a wave and he sinks back against the driver's seat.

"And you can't get a hold of your dad to make sure he's okay because he's-" Danny stops talking abruptly, but not in time.

"… because he's on that goddamn ship," Layla growls. "I fucking knew it. He's gotta be Superman all the friggin' time. Well, that's it. I've had it." The phone clicks in Danny's ear and he punches the steering wheel in frustration.

* * *

 

**4\. Mercy- Glee cast**

Watching Graham hug his daughter makes something twinge in Steve's chest. At first he thinks it might be from his fight with Graham and then he realizes that it's nostalgia. He hadn't been able to spend a lot of time with Layla when she was younger because he'd been young and stupid and Nani had been young and stupid and Layla had suffered for it. He senses more than sees Danny come to stand at his elbow.

"You're in a whole helluva a lot of trouble, Super SEAL." Danny says, arms folded across his chest. Steve looks down at his partner.

"Is the Governor here?" he asks, looking around for the blonde woman's familiar coif. Danny sighs.

"Less legal trouble and more familial… trouble. Oh, and thanks ever so much for giving your daughter my phone number."

* * *

 

**5\. Try A Little Tenderness- Otis Redding**

His deployments overseas prepared Steve for a lot of situations. Opening his front door to a furious teenager with a right hook from hell is not one of them. Still, he's military trained and her fist bounces harmlessly off his chest. Steve stares at his daughter.

"You could have been killed today!" she yells, slamming the front door behind her. "Did you even think about the fact that you have a kid?" her voice raises to a shriek.

"Layla, I…" she cuts him off with an irritated flick of her hand, pacing the entry.

"Shut up! I am not losing another parent because you guys can't be smart enough to make good decisions! I'm not the parent here! You are! So grow up and take care of _me_! Worry about _me_!" Steve is distressed to see tears spilling down her cheeks as she rants. He steps into her path and pulls her into his arms, holding her against his chest.

"I don't want to have to call your team because I don't know where you are or if you're okay! Please don't do that to me, Daddy." Steve's heart wrenches at the plaintive way she says his name. He feels the prick of tears in his own eyes and he squeezes them tightly shut as he rocks back and forth with his daughter in his arms.

"I won't, Layla. I promise, I'll never leave you." He whispers into her hair. She doesn't respond, but her arms tighten around him and Steve takes that as her answer.


	8. Mana'o

**1\. The Bare Necessities- The Jungle Book**

Grace falls asleep exactly forty-four minutes into _The Princess and the Frog_ , her body curled into Danny's side like an adorable little limpet. For a little while, he just sits there and watches her sleep, the light from the TV illuminating her face. She has to go back to Rachel's tomorrow morning and it's always too soon, so he likes to relish the time he has.

Sometimes Danny wonders exactly how many opportunities Steve had to spend time like this with Layla: just the two of them together before life ruined the innocence of childhood. Then he really thinks about it and finds himself having a hard time not laughing out loud at the image of Steve sitting on the couch watching the Disney Princess movies.

* * *

 

**2\. God Is A DJ- P!nk**

When Layla hears the rumor floating around school that a cop was killed, she doesn't freak out. After all, her father is a _Navy SEAL_ , not a police officer and while a lot of people on the Island don't realize that the two aren't the same, she knows the difference.

Somehow – possibly through that paternal telepathy thing that he seems to have been working on lately – her father seems to sense that she needs confirmation of his presence among the living and she receives a text during third period when she's supposed to be paying attention to _The Red Badge of Courage_ in English, but she's really just staring out the window because the book sucks.

**_Despite repeated attempts by partner, am still alive. Expecting my after school phone call._ **

While the teacher might think that Layla has suddenly gained a new appreciation for post-Civil War literature, Layla knows the smile on her face is for another reason.

* * *

**3\. You're Unbelievable- EMF**

"Okay, so I know why _I'm_ dressing up, but why are you dressing up?" Steve calls down the hallway as he stands in his bedroom doorway, knotting his tie by muscle memory.

"Mo's got an art show tonight." Layla calls back, her voice slightly muffled. "I'm gonna do a performance piece in the middle of the gallery that consists of me sitting on a bench texting Ryan while I ignore the self-important pretentious twits around me." Steve grins at the response as he steps back into the bedroom for one last look in the full-length mirror on the back of the door. It had been a while since he'd been in any kind of formal wear and it was just as uncomfortable as it had been the last however many times.

"Ready for the big reveal?" Layla calls and Steve opens the door.

"Ready." He says, stepping into the hall. Layla appears a few seconds later from her room down the hall.

"Hunh, very nice," Layla says as she takes in the classic black suit.

" _Hunh_ ," Steve mimics as he takes in the short purple dress and high heels. "Go change,"

* * *

 

**4\. Jessie's Girl- Glee version**

After arresting Kaleo at the station earlier, Steve is exhausted, both physically and mentally. He feels sleep pulling at his eyelids and struggles not to give in as he pulls into the driveway. The short walk on the path to the house is a little wobbly and he sighs as he pulls his keys out of his pocket.

Steve pushes open the front door and upon hearing the unfamiliar strains of TV in the background, instinctively pulls his gun from the holster. The surge of adrenaline that races through his veins wakes him right up. He closes the door quietly, raising up on his tiptoes as he moves from the entryway to peer into the living room. What he sees makes him smile ruefully as he tucks his weapon away.

Layla is curled up on the couch in front of the TV, wearing a pair of his sweats and one of his t-shirts, both items ridiculously large on her body. She seems to sense his presence as her head rises off the couch arm and sleepy eyes focus on him. Steve smiles at her and raises his hand in greeting.

"Hi, Daddy." She mumbles.

Steve doesn't think he'll ever get tired of being greeted like that.

* * *

 

**5\. Mission Impossible Theme song- Artist unknown**

Danny sits on the small stone patio in the corner of Amy's backyard, sipping a glass of punch from a plastic cup and watching people mill around in the house, talking, comforting, reminiscing; all the things that people do at wakes.

Danny's just not feeling the crowd. He'd like nothing better than to kick back with a six-pack and remember Meka all by himself, but he's here for Amy. He just needs a little air right now. Then a dark-haired head pokes out the lanai doors and a pair of irritatingly familiar hazel-green eyes meet his.

"Hi." Layla says, stepping out onto the lanai, her black and red sun-dress swirling around her legs as she minces down the steps and into the yard.

"I'm not in the mood to talk." He says, hoping his tone will scare her away. She continues to advance, stopping by the chair across from his.

"Well, I'm not in the mood to listen." She says, demurely sinking into the chair, smoothing her skirt under her. "So just sit there and be quiet and we won't have any problems, will we?"

"No, I don't think we will." He says and the comfortable silence that follows is almost perfect.


	9. Po'ipu

**1\. Santa Maria- The Gotan Project**

Steve tries to make it a point to spend time with Layla several times a week, even if it's just a phone call. Today is Monday which means that time will be spent at the dance studio that Layla calls home five days out of the week.

Steve loves the fact that his daughter is an athlete – he'd still prefer it if she played basketball or soccer or something where she could use her 5'8 frame to a serious advantage – and that she has such a passion for her "sport". That being said, Steve would really, really, really like it if his daughter's dance partner would stop putting his hands in inappropriate places.

Steve doesn't think it's really necessary for the kid's hands to be… there; _there_ being the general vicinity of his daughter's – and here Steve's brain has a minor stroke – chest. Or for the kid to pull her so close after a particularly athletic spin.

But it turns out Steve doesn't really have to worry about the boy's roaming hands because after one too many trips of the kid's hands to areas below the border, Layla stomps on the boy's instep with such force that even Steve has to cringe in sympathy.

And because it's Layla, it winds up looking like a total accident.

* * *

 

**2\. Hey, Mama- Black-Eyed Peas**

Steve's starting to realize that he spends an inordinate amount of his life at Five-0 in the car which is par for the course because in his previous career, he'd spent an inordinate amount of time disabling them, blowing them up, etc.

Danny is silent, staring up at the picture of Grace in the visor as they drive deeper into one of the neighborhood's about a mile from downtown, looking for the protestor, Nae Shan. Steve's noticed that Danny does this a lot especially after they've seen something particularly bad. Having to listen to the voicemail message from the daughter while standing in the murder victim's house had been one of those particular bad things.

Steve doesn't push Danny to talk because it's not what his partner does. So instead, Steve focuses on maneuvering the streets as he considers the thought of maybe putting his own picture in the visor above the driver's seat.

* * *

 

**3\. Hold It Against Me- Britney Spears**

"Seriously? She's how old now?" Nick asks, incredulity on his weathered face. The Five-0 team is gearing up for the hunt for the mechanic and he and Nick are using the brief interlude to catch up.

"I'm serious, _brah_. She's sixteen." Steve says as he straps his HPD vest around his chest, making sure all the straps are snug. "Sometimes I regret how much I missed."

"I think the last picture I saw she was three years old and in a pink tutu." Nick says, leaning against Steve's desk, arms folded across his chest.

"Yeah, well, she refuses to wears the tutu nowdays. My kid's not a ballerina." Steve says with a rueful grin.

"Well, isn't that just the perfect mix; the SEAL and the not-ballerina," Nick jokes, but there's something in his expression that Steve can't quantify and for the first time since they've run into each other here in Hawaii, his old teammate makes him uncomfortable.

* * *

 

**4\. Saturday's Child- Billy Boy on Poison**

If McGarrett knew as he dialed the phone for a second time that someone else would be listening to the entire conversation, he probably would have thrown the phone on the floor and stomped on it. The number on the screen doesn't match any law enforcement agencies or known associates of McGarrett's, so Nick nods at their tech guy to let it go through.

"Hi, Daddy!" an effervescently chipper voice answers the phone call and even across the phone line, Nick can feel McGarrett's sigh of relief. So this is the little one all grown-up. Nick doesn't know much about her, mostly just what he's seen in a photo representation of her life, but there's one fact that he knows for absolute certainty: Steve McGarrett will die for his daughter.

"Hey, sweetheart; just checking to make sure you're with Mo tonight." McGarrett sounds remarkably calm considering the events that have just taken place. Of course that's one of the qualities that had made him such a great team leader in the SEAL's. Nick smirks at the screen.

"Actually," that one word has Nick sitting up straight in his chair. If the girl gets involved, this whole op may turn out easier than he imagined it would. Even the ever-holier-than-thou Commander Steve McGarrett won't sacrifice his daughter for a third-world dictator.

"…for practice, so I'm staying at Kady's tonight." Nick realizes that the daughter has been talking and he hasn't been paying attention.

"All right, _keiki._ Have a good time, I love you." There's none of the ice in McGarrett's voice that had been there when he had placed the call to HPD SWAT earlier. It's almost like they're two different men, a necessary thing when one is a family man and a former Navy SEAL.

"Love you too, Daddy. Aloha." The line clicks and Nick leans back in his chair, a little disappointed, but in no way angry. It looks like they're back to doing this the hard way.

* * *

 

**5\. Boyfriend- Ashlee Simpson**

Layla's pretty sure that her dad's house hadn't had that particularly _ventilated_ look the last time she'd been here. She opens the door of her little Toyota and steps out, feeling something shift under her feet as she does so. Looking down at the shell-casings under her feet, she has a feeling that the random phone call from her dad last night was more than 'spot-check'.

Layla also has a feeling that her father has been lying by omission about the whole night and with a determined scowl, she slams her car door and stalks up the driveway, scattering more casings.

There is going to be a McGarrett on McGarrett smackdown and for the first time in his life, her father is about to lose a fight.


	10. HeiHei

**1\. See Ya- Atomic Kitten**

Her father is upstairs banging around and yelling about structural integrity and y-beams when the doorbell rings, so Layla levers herself off the couch and goes to answer the door. Opening it, she looks up, looks up some more, and with a little more looking, she finally meets the amused gaze of the mountain standing in the doorway.

"Aloha, _ku'uipo_ ," he says and the wide grin on his face threatens to split it in half. "You belong to McGarrett?"

"I like to think it's the other way around, but yes, I suppose I do." Layla responds, trying not to smile because there's just something likable about the visitor.

"That's cool, that's cool." The mountain says and then gestures with a frying pan hand behind him. "I got the stuff your Dad asked for."

"Oh, really? What kind of stuff?" Layla asks, trying to peer over the man's shoulder.

"Wood, nails, that kind of stuff." He says.

"Cool." Layla responds then turns and yells over her shoulder. "Hey, Dad! There's some big guy out here and he's got some wood for you!" She pauses, thinks about her words for a second and then yells again.

"I'd also like to apologize for the way that came out!"

* * *

 

**2\. Johnny Cash- Jason Aldean**

As Steve struggles to carry the surveillance equipment up the ridiculously long staircase of Danny's ex-wife's opulent home, his phone rings, the ringtone startling him so much that he almost drops one of the cases. Danny has long since gone upstairs, sniping at Rachel the whole way. With a grunt, Steve sets a case down and digs into his pocket for his phone. The screen says 'Layla', but the ringtone is a foreign one to him.

"What did you do to my phone?" he asks once he's balanced enough to make sure he's not going to drop a ridiculously expensive piece of surveillance equipment down the marble steps.

"I'm giving it personality." She replies, her tone implying that he's an idiot for even asking that question.

"A country one?" Steve asks, remembering the twangy tone of the man singing over the tiny speaker.

"Eh…" she sighs. "It's a work in progress."

* * *

 

**3\. Mambo Swing- Big Bad Voodoo Daddy**

Surveillance work is among the most boring known to man. That's why they're doing it in shifts. Right now, Danny is holding the heat-sensor goggles and staring out the window at the adjacent house and Steve is sprawled on the giant bed, firing off texts at a dizzying pace. If it weren't for their current location, Danny would be amused at the content look on his partner's face.

Then Steve looks up, a grin spreading across his face.

"Layla wants to meet Rachel." Danny can literally feel the blood drain from his face.

"No. Never gonna happen." He says, turning his back on his partner as if that single act will end their conversation.

"Oh, come on, Danny. You can't keep shutting Layla out. She's an important part of my life and by osmosis, an important part of yours." Steve says and Danny suspects that he may be reading this off his phone.

"Who's Layla?" Rachel's demurely accented voice inquires from the bedroom doorway and all Danny can do is hope that the suspects show up and do something illegal so that he can get out of this conversation.

* * *

 

**4\. Ridin' Solo- Jason Derulo**

Somehow, it doesn't surprise Rachel that her ex-husband has pseudo-adopted another child. It's just the kind of man that Daniel is, the kind who steps up to the plate when needed. As they stand in the entryway, waiting for Grace to come back downstairs from depositing her backpack and various other school accoutrement, she studies him.

He's scowling at his phone, poking at the touch-screen while muttering under his breath.

"Who are you texting?" she asks, the words surprising herself as much as him. He looks up at her and then back at the phone.

"Steve's daughter; she's trying to convince me to let her babysit Grace." Rachel arches an eyebrow at Danny who seems to sense the expression and glances up.

"Steve says she's good with kids." He explains and pokes at his phone again. Rachel tries to hide the smile on her lips. If they were still married, she'd possibly be jealous at how often Steve McGarrett comes up in conversation.

"And now she wants _your,"_ he indicates her with a wild gesture of his hands. "phone number because she thinks you're obviously the bigger pushover here. I give up." He says, shoving his phone in his pocket.

Rachel finally lets her smile show as Grace come galloping back downstairs.

* * *

 

**5\. Midnight Romeo- Push Play**

"This… is not the bar." Danny announces unnecessarily as they pull into the driveway of a sprawling two-story typical Hawaiian residence.

"Wow, are you a detective or something?" Steve snarks, killing the engine and pushing the car door open.

"I thought we were gonna get drunk." Danny mutters, but dutifully follows. Steve doesn't let his partner see the smile that creeps across his face. Steve steps up on the porch, throws the door open and a wave of delicious smells flood his nose.

"God, that smells good." Danny pipes up from behind him, stepping into the living room.

"Glad you approve." Layla says appearing out of the kitchen with a large red mixing bowl balanced on one hip, a wooden spoon in one hand. "You gonna just stand there or are you gonna come in and set the table for me?"

"This is a trap, but I'm gonna let it slide because whatever she's making smells delicious." Danny says, brushing past Steve and walking through into the kitchen, brushing a fond hand over Layla's head as he does.

"Hi, Daddy." She says, accepting the kiss that Steve steps forward to deliver to her forehead. "Do you think he'll have any problem with eggplant parm and homemade garlic bread?"

"Oh, my god; I don't even know you, but I'm asking you to marry me." Danny's voice floats out of the kitchen, followed by Mo's startled giggle and Steve smiles.

"I think it's gonna be all good, sweetheart."


	11. Palekaiko

**1\. Missionary Man- The Eurythmics**

When Chin arrives at McGarrett's house for their spear-fishing trip, he finds his boss sitting on the couch, arms folded across his chest, a scowl on his face. He pauses in the opening between the living room and the entryway, unsure if this is a hostage situation or his boss is finally having the mental breakdown that Danny is sure is always brewing on the horizon. Then Chin hears a shriek of  laughter from upstairs followed by a distinctly male chuckle and things suddenly become a lot clearer.

"Ah," he says sagely and McGarrett looks at him, still scowling. "Wanna hear about how Kono's brothers and I used to take care of this problem back when she was in high school?"

The smile that slides across Steve's face shouldn't be classified as evil, but Chin doesn't know how else to define it.

* * *

 

**2\. Something Like That- Tim McGraw**

Kamekona chooses a parking spot directly in front of the main doors of Kulao'a high school, climbs out of the Jeep and leans against it as the bell rings. Ten minutes later, he sees the littlest McGarrett pushing through the doors, a teenage boy who looks like _pilikia_ attached to her hip. Layla slows upon seeing him, her forehead furrowing in a frown, but she comes down the steps anyway, stopping in front of him.

"Aloha, _ku'uipo,_ " he says, smiling at her, all the while glancing at the boy who is glaring, his dark eyes surly and rebellious. "Your father asked me to pick you up after school today. You gonna spend the afternoon with me 'til he's off work." Judging by the scowl that crosses Layla's face, Kamekona decides this is probably not a good time to mention that their afternoon together might turn into a slumber party depending on the length of McGarrett's case. The boy scowls at Kamekona who drops his smile long enough to glare back.

"I'm gonna make him pay for this." Layla mutters as she shoves her backpack at Kamekona and climbs into the passenger seat of the Jeep without acknowledging the boy behind her at all. Kamekona sighs and tosses her backpack into the backseat. McGarrett owes him big time.

* * *

 

**3\. Man, I Feel Like a Woman- Shania Twain**

"Seriously?" Danny is completely unwilling to let this whole 'Sexy Eyes' thing go. Steve is trying to resist the urge to toss his partner out of the car as they take the hairpin turns along the coastline. "Because you know, I'm trying to figure it out and I just can't quite find a connection."

"Just drop it, Danny." It had been fun to tease his partner for a while, but now Steve is regretting not turning the radio off, especially since the next song is one that he knows by heart and probably should never admit to actually knowing. As Shania croons about feeling like a woman, Steve resists the urge to mouth the words along with the song as images of his daughter's first dance recital flit through his mind.

"Is this what they do to you in SEAL school? Make you listen to crap like this? Is that what's wrong with you?" Danny asks, gesturing at the radio, a faint smile at the corners of his mouth.

"I do have a teenage daughter, Danny." Steve says and Danny arches an eyebrow at him as if he finds that explanation as lacking as it sounded to Steve. As if her ears were burning, his phone buzzes in the cup holder and Steve reaches for it, gesturing for Danny to turn down the radio as he does so.

"Hi, swee-" is far as he gets.

"Did Grandpa drop you on your head when you were a baby? What the hell is the matter with you?" Steve pulls the phone away from his ear as the verbal abuse continues. He glances over at Danny who is staring at the phone with a vaguely horrified expression.

"I'm putting Gracie in a convent."

* * *

 

**4\. Corazon Espinado- Santana feat. Maná**

"No… and if your hand moves any further south, I'm gonna stomp on your foot." Kamekona watches the littlest McGarrett lead his cousin around the lanai, the bigger man stumbling after the graceful little _kaikamahine_.

"This is hard." Tona says as he stares down at his feet. Layla takes her hand away from his shoulder and taps him on the chin, forcing his head up.

"This is a basic salsa step and if my father can do it, you can too," She says. "Now, just follow me." All around him, other members of Kamekona's family are laughing and taking pictures with their phones – and all pretending they're not dreading their own turns – but Kamekona just leans back in his chair and smiles. McGarrett is a lucky man whether he realizes it or not. Layla looks up and catches him watching and smiles broadly at him, all signs of her earlier surliness gone. Then she points a finger at him and mouths, 'you're next,' and Kamekona's smile slips.

* * *

 

**5\. Fireflies- Owl City**

Still reeling from the knowledge that his mother's death might have been a homicide instead of an accident, Steve unlocks his front door and is immediately assaulted by a wave of sound, a combination of drums, synthesizers, and piano. Grimacing, he pushes the front door shut and follows the source of the sound out onto the lanai.

Layla is hopping around on the wooden deck, her hair up in a ridiculously high ponytail, wearing a pair of boardshorts and a tank-top that brags that Coco's Crab Shack serves the best seafood on the island. She sees him and waves a greeting, but doesn't stop moving. The music grates on Steve's already raw emotional nerves, but the smile that his daughter gives him is a soothing balm.

"Dance with me," she calls over the music, bouncing over to him with so much energy he's getting tired just looking at her. He starts to shake his head, but the puppy-dog look that she gives him breaks down his remaining defenses and he takes her hand, letting her move his arms around in some facsimile of dancing.

"You dance like a square," she says, laughter tingeing her voice and Steve can't help but smile. As they dance on the lanai, he lets the music wash over him and tries his hardest to just forget. 


	12. Hana'a'a Makehewa

**1\. Santa Baby- The Pussycat Dolls**

Monroe has raised her niece for the last ten years and she likes to think she's fairly in tune with Layla's moods. So when Layla hurls her backpack down the stairs and then proceeds to stomp down every single step and throw the kitchen door open, she figures something's wrong.

"Good morning," Monroe says, calmly taking a sip of her coffee. Layla grunts something that may or may not be words and storms over to the fridge, yanking it open so hard that Monroe fears for the appliance's safety.

"Not a good morning?" she asks. Layla shrugs, her head buried in the fridge's shelves. Clearly her niece doesn't intend on actually speaking today. Mo watches as Layla pulls out an apple from the crisper and brings it to the table.

Monroe sighs. Layla's more of a bowl of Captain Crunch in the morning kind of girl. The sight of the apple that she's so morosely sinking her teeth into means that she's on another 'I'm fat' kick probably as a result of one of those evil size-2 ballerinas at her dance studio.

She really doesn't want too, but Monroe knows this is going to require a call to Steve… and won't that be fun.

* * *

 

**2\. Never Again- Nickelback**

She looks so much like her father that Victor Hesse almost finds himself hating her simply for her genetics. With the same single mindedness as her father, the teenager moves along the jogging path, her long legs eating up the pavement with easy strides. Victor isn't far behind, his pace far more measured because he's not worried about losing her. Besides, he has a man stationed at the head of the trail just in case.

It would be so easy, so simple to snatch her here, out of sight of the world. To swiftly render her unconscious and carry her to his waiting truck. It would be the sweetest victory in the world to hear the utter defeat in Steve McGarrett's voice as he learned that his daughter was completely at Victor's mercy.

Then, up ahead, he sees even more rapid movement and brings his attention to the present just in time to watch Layla's left foot land in a small dip and watch her fall hard, catching the heels of her hands and her knees on the pavement.

"Fuck," she swears softly under her breathe as he approaches. Her hands are bleeding, little bits of rock embedded in the skin and her knees aren't much better off.

"You okay, darlin'?" he asks, not even bothering to hide his accent. She freezes, her gaze locked on his shoes. Victor isn't stupid. He knows that McGarrett will have told his daughter all about him, what he looks like and what he sounds like. He crouches in front of her, putting his hand under her chin and forcing her head up. Her father's eyes stare out at him, defiant, but terrified.

"Tell your father I said 'hi', all right, luv?" he says, leaning in close until he can feel the tension and fear radiating off her skin, feel her inhaling and exhaling against his face. Then he smiles and presses a kiss to her forehead.

Standing, Victor takes a step back and continues jogging along the path, leaving the daughter of his enemy sitting on the trail, clutching her bloodied hands to her chest.

* * *

 

**3\. Daughters- John Mayer**

Layla doesn't really know where else to go because instinct tells her that going home to Monroe isn't a good idea and she can't get a hold of her father or the team. She's starting to panic which explains why she finds herself driving to Five-0 headquarters, but instead of taking the elevator to the floor that houses the task force, she pushes the button for the second floor. The lift spills her out into the bullpen which seems like barely contained chaos.

Still, even with the insanity, she attracts a lot of attention, especially with the blood that covers her knees and hands. No one tries to stop her as she slowly walks over to the office in the corner, bumping the half-closed door open with her hip.

Sergeant Andrew Cage looks up from where he's staring at the television in the corner, phone pinned to his ear and the blood drains from his face. Layla feels the shaking start then, the adrenaline wearing off as the pain from her fall starts to make its presence known and as the realization that she's just been face to face with her grandfather's killer sinks in.

Her grandfather had trusted Sgt. Cage when he'd been alive and for some reason that's all she can think about: what her grandfather would have done if he couldn't get a hold of her father. So she carefully eases herself into the chair in front of his desk and patiently waits for him to help her too.

* * *

 

**4\. Blackbird- The Beatles**

The last place that Steve expects to find his daughter is asleep on the couch in the office of an IAB detective, but that's what he finds following a frantic NASCAR race across town to headquarters. Danny stands in the doorway behind him, a welcome calming presence after his day of terror.

Steve wants to destroy Hesse all over again when he sees the gleaming white bandages around Layla's hands and knees. The terrorist is incredibly lucky that Steve got the call _after_ he'd already been arrested otherwise, Steve didn't think he could have stopped himself from killing Hesse.

Steve's a little surprised that Cage is the one that Layla turned to when she was in trouble and he suspects that there's a story there, but that comes later. Right now, all he wants to do is sink to his knees next to Layla and gather her into his arms because he's so exhausted and he just needs to make sure that his little girl is safe.

So with Danny standing over him, for once a looming presence, he does just that.

* * *

 

**5\. Baby It's Cold Outside- Glee version**

The knock on the door is soft, but Danny hears it over the sound of Grace's laughter. He carefully extracts himself from the group on the couch and quickly moves to the door, opening it to reveal the one and only Layla McGarrett, looking very seasonal in a green dress with a matching bow in her hair. Even the band-aids on her knees don't detract from the picture.

"Hi, sweetheart," Danny says, reaching out and drawing her into the apartment. She comes in, albeit shyly, waving at everyone when they greet her. Grace is up and moving instantly, running up to Layla with a massive smile.

"Hi," she says. "Merry Christmas, Layla. My dad told me all about you and you have to teach me to dance and you're a lot prettier than he said." Danny catches Steve's amused smile from across the living room and can't help but grin himself at his daughter's tirade.

"Hi," Layla parrots her, holding out the gaily wrapped present that she'd held under one arm. "He's told me all about you too. Merry Christmas, Grace,"

As Grace leads Layla deeper into the living room, already talking up a storm, Danny looks over the motley crew in his apartment and smiles. It's not a traditional family by any means, but he'll definitely take it.


	13. Ke Kenohi

**1\. Waking Up the Devil- Hinder**

Any other father might have felt bad about tossing his daughter halfway across the room, but clearly Steve McGarrett does not. Of course, Layla doesn't seem particularly bothered about it as she picks herself up off the mat, dusting off her workout clothes as she eyes her father suspiciously.

Kono leans against the wall of the HPD gym and watches the sparring session. The McGarrett duo had approached her three days ago about teaching Layla self-defense following the entire Hesse incident. Layla's a fast learner which is why Kono has set up this little match to see how much her young student has retained. Judging by the way that Steve is throwing her around on the wrestling mats, they're going to need some more lessons.

* * *

 

**2\. Spooky- Imogen Heap**

Layla has started keeping a mental list of things that she doesn't like. For the last three weeks, pop quizzes in American History had topped that list, then five days ago, Victor Hesse had taken the top spot. This morning, Hesse has been knocked aside by a new contender.

"Ordinarily, I'd be in hysterics right now," she tells the unconscious man on the living floor as she carefully lifts his head to put her balled up sweater under it. "But I have a distinct feeling that this is all your fault and since you're still breathing, I'm just gonna call Danny and wait patiently." Her father doesn't say a word, but that makes sense since he's out cold.

Layla doesn't have to wait very long after her phone call. Less than ten minutes later Danny bursts through the front door, gun drawn and finds her sitting on the floor next to her unconcious father, doing the last few pages of her history homework.

* * *

 

**3\. E.T.- Katy Perry feat. Kanye West**

Danny knows the look on Steve's face. He's about to do something phenomenally stupid and the consequences be damned. Personally, Danny already thought the thing on the motorcycle was fucking ridiculous. Then Steve goes and says the stupidest thing that Danny thinks has ever left the man's lips. " _I'm not my father. I don't have a wife and kids to protect._ "

Danny's mouth goes on autopilot to combat that statement of pure dumbness as he runs that sentence through his brain over and over again. He knows that Steve is in the heat of the moment, bound and determined to avenge his fallen parents and his little sister, but he must really be in the zone to say something that fucking insane.

Danny knows Layla is Steve's whole world, knows that he would kill for her in a second and die for her at the exact same speed. So he just waits for the sheer stupidity of that to catch up to his partner. When it does – some time later – Danny can tell by the way that Steve's shoulders sag that he knows he was being an idiot, but Danny doesn't say anything because he's been guilty of the exact same thing several times himself.

* * *

 

**4\. In Love With A Girl- Gavin DeGraw**

"If you even think about sending me to the Mainland, I'll kick you so hard in the junk it'll make the chances of any more siblings a physical impossibility." Layla doesn't look up from the homework that she's doing at the kitchen table, but Steve knows she's focused on him, not the words on the page.

"Thought hadn't even crossed my mind." He lies, trying for smooth and coming out with something less than believable. Unfortunately, Layla is exactly like her mother in more ways than one.

"Bullshit." He half-jumps, still wired with adrenaline, as she stands up and slams her hands down on the table. "Danny told me what you did today. You'd love it if I wasn't here to have to _babysit,_ " she snarls this word. "so you can just do whatever you want and not have to worry about the consequences." She stomps towards the stairs and Steve puts a hand out to stop her.

"Don't touch me," Layla snaps, pushing his arm away. "I hate you right now." Somehow, those five words hurt worse than anything Steve's learned through this entire ordeal. He watches her storm upstairs and feels the unfamiliar prick of tears behind his eyes.

* * *

 

**5\. Beautiful Disaster- Jon McLaughlin**

It's the blood curdling scream that wakes Steve out of an exhausted sleep. He's on his feet in an instant, having fallen asleep in his clothes, even his boots are still on. There is only one other person in this house right now and all Steve's thoughts are on getting to her.

He dashes the short distance down the hall and throws open Layla's bedroom door, instantly finding his daughter via the glow of the moon. She's thrashing around in the bed, struggling against something only she can feel and she's calling out for him, "Daddy!" Steve knows a night terror when he sees one. He quickly moves to the edge of the bed, carefully placing his hands on her shoulders and pulling her upright into a sitting position.

"Layla, wake up. Wake up, baby. I'm right here." His words are like magic and her eyes snap open, unfocused at first, but she regains her equilibrium and those big hazel eyes that remind him so much of his own quickly fill with tears. She lunges for him or maybe he moves first, but somehow she ends up in his lap, clutching him like he's a lifeline.

"Don't go away, Daddy." She sobs, pressing her face into the side of his neck, the wet of her tears soaking into the front of his t-shirt. "Please don't leave me. I'm sorry I said I hate you. Please don't go away."

Those tears that had threatened to spill earlier come back with a vengeance and though Steve will never admit to it, he rests his cheek atop his daughter's bowed head and allows his own tears to fall.

"Never," he whispers as Layla continues to sob. "I will never leave you, Layla."


	14. Ha Kane Hewa'ole

**1\. Get It On Tonite- Montell Jordan**

There's a naked man standing in the kitchen. Layla pauses in the doorway at the sight of the man standing in front of the fridge, most of his back taken up with an impressive tattoo of a dragon. She keeps her gaze above the waist because there are certain things a teenage girl is not meant to see, her aunt's one-night-stand's naked ass being one of them.

Turning her back, she calls up the stairs, "Hey, Aunt Mo! There's a naked guy in the fridge. Do I call Dad or send him back upstairs?" she waits for a beat of five seconds before turning back around to find the one-night stand staring at her, now holding a dish-towel over his personal areas, an impressive flush spreading across his face and neck.

"Hi, I'm Layla; the niece." She says because really, if she can handle her _father's_ naked one-night stands, she can handle her aunt's naked one-night stands.

"Mike." He says, still staring at her.

"Okay, so I'm just gonna go back upstairs before this gets even more awkward." Layla says, turning as she says it. "Um, it was nice to meet you… Mike." As she heads back upstairs, she figures this is probably one of those things she _shouldn't_ tell her father.

* * *

 

**2\. Can't Say- BBMak**

"Okay, what if that was Grace?" Steve counters because he'd really like it if Danny would stop saying that he's gone 'goofy'. "And there was a possibility that you'd done something awful. Wouldn't you want the detective investigating the case to promise to prove you innocent for Grace?" Danny's eyes narrow.

"That's low, man. Really low," Danny mutters, but with no real heat behind it. Steve shrugs and turns back to the road. He's got no problem playing the father card here. He knows Danny could play it back, but at this point, it's just redundant.

"Speaking of juvenile delinquents," Danny says, ready to change the subject now that the tables have been turned on him. "How is your daughter?" Steve arches an eyebrow because he's pretty sure there's affection in that tone, he's just going to have to dig through the sarcasm to find it.

* * *

 

**3\. Something's Got A Hold On Me- Christina Aguilera**

Chin has just gotten back to HPD headquarters when his phone rings in his pocket – _Pon de Replay_ , just like the caller requested for their ringtone – and he pulls it out as he opens his car door.

"And what can I do for you today, Miss McGarrett?" he asks, smiling despite his mood. There's a long pause and then Layla answers.

"What's wrong?" Chin arches an eyebrow at the abrupt question.

"I'm sorry?"

"You sound stressed. Want me to push for a vacation? I can do that, you know. I have a certain amount of pull with your boss." She says, and Chin can tell that she's dead serious, that he just needs to say the word and find himself with two weeks of vacation time.

"I'm fine, Layla." Chin says, fighting not to roll his eyes even though he appreciates the sentiment.

"Do you speak Spanish?" the question is a total non sequitor, but Chin goes with it.

"Enough to ask where the bathroom is," he replies.

"Damn," the teenager sounds defeated. "Well, that's one less class to take next year. Thanks anyway, Chin. I hope you have a better day!" she crows and then hangs up. Chin just shakes his head as he shuts his phone and sticks it back in his pocket. Still, he's smiling as he walks into the station.

* * *

 

**4\. Bad Romance- Glee version**

"So… Mike seems nice." Monroe looks up from the canvas in front of her to find her niece lounging in the doorway of her studio/office, wearing a black tank-top and a pair of khaki shorts that Monroe's pretty sure belong to Steve, judging by how tightly they're belted at the waist. She wonders why she even bothers buying clothes for her niece anymore when Layla seems dead set on only wearing her father's clothing anyway.

"Mike was a once in a lifetime event." Monroe mutters, feeling color rise in her cheeks as she turns back to the canvas. "And a really stupid one at that,"

"You guys used a condom, right?" Monroe's paintbrush, which had been tracing the gently curved outline of a hibiscus flower, suddenly jerks across the canvas, completely ruining the picture. She looks up and glares at her niece.

"Go away. Now," she mutters because if anymore blood rushes to her face, she might possibly have a stroke.

"I'm just asking! God! I don't want you to get the heebie-jeebies and suddenly, I'm the bad guy! Why am I always the bad guy!" Monroe listens to her niece rant as she turns around, flailing her arms in the air and disappears into the depths of the house. "We can barely take care of ourselves! We don't need a baby!" she yells right before a door slams shut.

Monroe just puts her forehead down on the bottom of her easel and groans.

* * *

 

**5\. Gimme Three Steps- Lynard Skynard**

"Seriously, this is what my aunt's taxes pay for?" Four heads swivel towards Layla as she pushes into the conference room. "So you guys can watch CHiPs?" She's glad that she added one of her father's Hawaiian shirts over the top of her tanktop because with the air conditioning, she's cold.

"Hi, sweetheart." Her father greets her with a kiss on her cheek as she leans over the top of his chair and gives his neck a hug. "Pull up a seat." Layla pulls a chair closer to the table and squeezes herself in between Kono and her father, the former of who moves with a warm smile.

"Oh, I know. We can ask Layla." Kono says and the three men at the table groan. Layla looks around the room before settling her gaze on Kono.

"Ask me what?" she says, having a feeling that she may have just walked in on something that most teenagers wouldn't have understood.

"Who do you think is cutest? John or Ponch?" Kono gestures towards the screen. Layla sizes up both men and then opens her mouth to say 'John' when her brain decides that something else entirely needs to be said and what comes out is: "Neither, actually. The naked guy in the kitchen this morning was way hotter."

There's a very loud silence – and wasn't that an oxymoron – and then she feels a booted foot slowly turning her chair until she's facing her father who doesn't look at all pleased.

"If I scream no one's gonna help me, are they?" Layla asks, trying to disappear into the collar of the borrowed shirt. The blank looks that she gets are answer enough. "Yeah…" she sighs. "I didn't think so."


	15. Kai e'e

**1\. Real Good Man- Tim McGraw**

"You want me to help cook dinner…"

"Yes."

"For your sailor girlfriend…"

"Not my girlfriend,"

"Sorry, for your friend with  _benefits._ "

" _Layla."_

"And then sit down and eat said dinner with said friend with benefits… and be _nice while I do it_?"

"I think you just summed up my last ten minutes of speaking perfectly."

"Did you hit your head? At what point during today did you think this might be a good idea, Dad?"

"I just want the two of you to meet in some socially acceptable manner that doesn't involve her being naked and you running out of the house."

"…"

"Layla?"

"What exactly does one feed a sailor? Seaweed?"

"I'm sure anything will be fine and it might help if you lose the attitude by tonight."

" _Fine;_ I'll see you tonight."

"I love you."

"…"

"I _love_ you."

"I'm not sure that what I'm feeling right now can be described as 'love', but sure let's pretend that's what this angry buzzing noise in my head is."

"I'll see you tonight, Layla."

* * *

 

**2\. Jump With My Baby- Big Bad Voodoo Daddy**

Steve McGarrett is going to start listening to Danny Williams more. He'll never admit this, but he's going to and this is the reason why.

Danny told him that trying to have Layla and Catherine to get to know each other was a bad idea. Steve had brushed him off because he knew Layla and he knew Catherine and he was absolutely positive that if they just talked for a bit, then they would find that they could get along. Of course he hadn't counted on how absolutely resistant to this idea that Layla would be.

The evening had taken a downturn somewhere around the time that Catherine referred to Layla as a ballerina and gotten even worse when Layla had called the last time they'd met as 'Sailor Booty-Call' and had been flat-lining ever since. Steve sits beside Catherine in the icily silent dining room, Layla seated across the table from them, glaring at them as her black fingernails tapped out a staccato rhythm on the edge of her plate.

So, yes, Steve is definitely going to start paying better attention to Danny Williams… he's just not going to tell him that.

* * *

 

**3\. Girlfriend- Avril Lavigne**

Grace Williams has decided that grown-ups are stupid. She likes Kamekona, she really does. He's very nice and he's given her shave ice before, but she'd just really rather be with Danno. Danno is a police officer and he can protect her from anything. Grace knows this, so she can't understand why she's here and Danno's not.

Then a light blue car that looks like the fast cars that the teenagers back in New Jersey used to drive pulls up to the park benches and Steve's daughter climbs out, a backpack slung over her shoulder.

"Hey, _ku'uipo,_ " Kamekona calls, waving a big hand over his head. "Come join the game." The teenager comes over and Grace smiles up at her. Layla's very pretty and she thinks that maybe some of Kamekona's brothers have a crush on her because they all look at her stupidly like Step-Stan looks at her Mommy.

"Sorry, Big Guy," Layla says as she settles in next to Grace, putting an arm around her shoulders and giving her a hug. "I have to read fifty-seven pages of Mark Twain. Besides," she says, poking at the pile of candy in front of Grace. "It looks like my friend here is already killing you guys."

Grace smiles proudly at the attention and with Layla sitting next to her, turning pages in her book, she stares determinedly at the cards in her hands because she's going to win all this candy.

* * *

 

**4\. Sing, Sing, Sing (With A Swing)- Louis Prima**

"Danno, Danno, come here. Layla taught me a dance." Gracie is so effervescent over this that Danny can't help but follow his daughter over to the side of Layla's where the windows are down and music is playing from the speakers. He's relieved upon arriving at the car to discover that the music is actually a well known swing song and nothing featuring lyrics that his own ears aren't old enough to hear.

"Okay, okay, watch me," Grace demands, tugging on his hands. Danny leans against the car as Grace takes Layla's hands and with the determination and focus that only an eight year old can achieve, moves her feet in a facsimile of a swing dance. He looks up as Steve joins them at the car, arms folded across his chest and a big smile on his face.

"Did you see, Danno? I can swing dance!" Grace is thrilled about her new found abilities and Danny catches Layla's gaze and mouths 'thank you'. She shrugs but then shrieks as Steve steps up behind her and twirls her around.

"Mi'lady?" he bows low over his daughter's hand and Layla curtsies formally, her descent graceful. Then to even Danny's surprise, Steve pulls Layla close, his hands going to what Danny assumes is proper posture and proceeds to lead his daughter into an energetic swing. He's so surprised by this turn of events that he forgets to pull out his cell and capture the moment, a moment that comes back to haunt him as he tries to later describe the scene to Chin and Kono.

* * *

 

**5\. Up All Night- Hinder**

Catherine is in the middle of brushing her teeth when the phone rings. She ignores it, choosing dental hygiene over being polite. Finally, with her teeth clean, her hair brushed and her most comfortable pajamas on, she goes to her nightstand, flips open her phone and sees that she had a new voicemail from Steve. She puts the phone on speaker, sets it on the bed and goes over to set out her uniform for the next day. The voice that comes from the speaker, however, is not the one she is expecting.

"Hi, um… Catherine. It's Layla… you know, Steve's daughter." Catherine arches an eyebrow at her phone, hands smoothing over her uniform. "I'm just calling to say that I'm, you know, sorry for being a brat. My dad likes you and so… _no, I'm not saying that, stop poking me._ " This last part is added _sotto voce_ , but Catherine hears it anyway and can't help but smile. She didn't think that Steve's progeny would make this call on her own.

" _No, I will not stick to the script. It's a crappy script._ " The soft speaking continues and Catherine thinks that maybe Layla thinks the mic part of the phone is covered. She hears another voice that rumbles and assumes that Steve is sitting right next to his daughter during this whole forced apology. Catherine is more amused than offended.

" _Why? Because you're a Navy SEAL, not a Hollywood writer! That's why!_ Ahemmm…" Layla clear her throat as her full voice comes back over the speaker. "Anyway, like I was saying… I'm sorry and you're not a sailor…" the voice trails off for a second before speaking again, this time not even bothering to try and speak quietly or cover the mic. "Wait a minute, she's in the Navy! Doesn't that automatically mean she's a sailor? How can that be insulting? No, do not shush me. This is ridiculous. What bass-ackwards kind of military is this country runn-." Layla's voice is cut-off mid-rant and Catherine assumes that at that point, Steve just hung up the phone.

The laughter starts softly at first and then bubbles up out of her chest until Catherine's lying on her bunk, crying because she's laughing so hard.


	16. E Malama

**1\. Dirty Little Girl- Burn Halo**

" _You got in a fight?"_ the sheer incredulity in her father's voice is almost worth the pain in her hand is in from trying to shove Chris deMarch's nose down his throat. Layla pins the phone between her shoulder and ear as she slowly peels the ice-pack off the broken skin of her knuckles and looks at the damage.

"I don't know that I'd call it a fight. I hit him twice and he went down, so no punches were actually exchanged. If you feel the need to label it, I think you could go with mugging; today, I got suspended for a week for mugging the pitcher of the baseball team." Silence follows her statement of bravado – a rapidly crumbling façade because holy shit, she just got suspended for breaking a guy's nose and what the fuck! – and she can practically hear her father seething over the line.

"Go straight home, do your homework, and don't you _dare_ even think about leaving until I get home." Layla's heard her father angry before, but she thinks this might be the first time that that much anger has been directed at her. She opens her mouth to try and explain, to tell him that none of this is her fault, but all that comes out is a weak 'yes, sir'. She hangs up the phone and promptly bursts into tears.

* * *

 

**2\. The Right Stuff- New Kids On The Block**

"…just don't know what the _hell_ she thought she was doing? And now she's suspended from school for a week." Chin can hear the sheer frustration in Steve's voice, the emotion mirrored in the way that his boss's hands clench on the steering wheel.

"Well, I don't know about the daughter angle, but Kono used to get into fights in high school a lot." He offers up and Steve latches onto the information like a drowning man grabbing a life raft.

"Is this one of those things that's really easy to fix? Can Kamekona help?" Chin hates to crush the hope in his boss's eyes.

"It's more of one of those wait it out things. Kono's problem was because she was so tiny and everyone picked on her. Did you ask Layla how the fight started?" he can tell by the look of guilt on Steve's face that the thought hadn't even crossed his mind.

And then they're pulling into the driveway of the safe house and the time for talking is over.

* * *

 

**3\. You and Me- Dave Matthews Band**

At some point between the ransacked house and the drive to the hotel, Rachel changes her mind and pulls off to the side of the road. The idea here is to feel safe and after listening to her ex-husband talk so many times about feeling safe, there is only one obvious place to go.

Rachel has to look the address up on her phone and then plug it into the GPS, but Grace is asleep in the backseat, so she takes her time. Following the directions, she drives along the coastline and eventually pulls up to a split-level home built in the classic Hawaii style. She pulls into the driveway behind the light blue speedster and after a brief struggle, she manages to get Grace out of the back seat, leaving their bags for now.

She rings the doorbell, positive that the car is indicative of signs of life in the house, an assumption that pays off when Layla McGarrett opens the front door of the house, her face red and blotchy like she's been crying herself. Layla takes one look at the both of them and opens the door wider, motioning them to come in. It's not until Rachel is fully in the house, does she notice the darkening bruises on Layla's biceps. She briefly wonders if the bruises and the obvious signs of crying are linked, but then Grace stirs in her arms and mumbles 'Mommy' and Rachel is immediately distracted.

* * *

 

**4\. Don't Let Me Get Me- P!nk**

It's been three days since Steve's seen his daughter. She'd decided to stay with Mo during part of finals and then to spend the rest of the week and Spring Break at his house. If anything, that time apart seems to fray Steve's temper even more. He doesn't hold back when he gets home. He can count on one hand and still have fingers left over, the number of times that he's full-out yelled at Layla, but he adds another finger to the total today.

"Totally irresponsible, Layla! What the hell were you thinking? You broke his nose!" Layla stands in front of him in the living room, her gaze downcast, wearing a baggy long-sleeved shirt that Steve thinks may have been one of his father's. She hasn't said a word, just presented herself front and center and let him yell. He's just getting around to her punishment – emphasizing the part where she's going to be without a car for at least a month – when she meets his gaze for a split second and Steve is shocked speechless at the look of betrayal in his daughter's eyes. Then he remembers the call from the school and anger flares deep within him and he resumes the yelling.

"I am very disappointed in you, Layla." She physically cringes away from his words and Steve bows his head, rubbing the heels of his hands into eyes. It's been a really long day.

"Just… just go to bed. I'll take you to Mo's in the morning. Be ready by eight." Without a word, Layla flees the living room, leaving Steve standing there, wondering what his own father would have done in that kind of situation.

* * *

 

**5\. Caribou Lou- Tech N9ne**

_Layla knows exactly how much shit she's going to be in if her father or Mo finds that she snuck out, but Kara had promised that her aunt won't even notice she's gone. The party is in full-swing when they arrive, guys and girls from school grinding up on each other in almost every room of Chris deMarch's house, cups of booze almost everywhere else, obnoxiously loud Lil' Wayne music pounding out of some industrial size speakers in the living room._

_Layla nurses a red plastic cup of beer, afraid that someone will notice she's not really drinking like everyone else. She hates the smell of alcohol, hates the taste even more. She loses track of Kara after an hour and looking for a quieter spot, she finds herself out on the lanai, surrounded by couples making out like their lives are depending on it._

" _Hey," she turns to find Chris deMarch himself has followed her out onto the lanai. He smiles charmingly and she returns it. Layla isn't exactly a social butterfly at school, but by the same token, she's not exactly a social pariah either. Chris deMarch is much higher up on the food chain than she is._

" _Wanna walk on the beach with me?" He asks, stepping close and she smells the alcohol on his breath, but everyone at the party has alcohol on their breath and since he's not slurring his words or stumbling, she assumes he's sober enough... and so ignoring the warning voice in the back of her head, she takes his proffered arm and lets him lead her off the lanai and down onto the sand._


	17. Powa Maka Moana

**1\. London Bridge- Fergie**

Danny can't remember the last time he'd suffered through a more awkward car ride. Steve had insisted that they take the Marquis out for a spin, dropping Layla off at her aunt's on the way; in fact, he'd looked so maniacal about it that Danny hadn't argued, he'd just slipped into the passenger seat and sat there quietly.

Layla sits in the back, staring out the window, wearing a long-sleeve button-down collar shirt over a pair of cut-off jeans that Danny finds to be a wholly ridiculous fashion statement. She's quiet, but he can tell the signs of an all night crying-bender. Steve is sitting in the driver's seat, tense as a coiled spring, glaring out the windshield as they drive.

Danny sighs heavily and leans back in his seat, tipping his head back to stare at the ceiling of the car, hoping that he doesn't choke on the tension.

When they pull up to Mo's, Layla waits for Steve to slip out of the driver's side door before hauling her duffel bag out of the backseat and all but scuttling into the house, not saying a word to her father who in turn, makes no effort to say anything to her.

Danny hopes that it won't be this hard when Grace is sixteen.

* * *

 

**2\. Savin' Me- Nickelback**

Steve can't think of a case that he would rather work less than the one that they're currently on. Between the mixture of worrying about the missing kids and thinking about Layla and dealing with the distraught parents, he thinks he might be getting an ulcer. Then just like Murphy's Law says, everything gets worse, so much worse with the death of Justin Brown.

Back at headquarters, he manages to gain a few seconds of alone time in the bathroom, alone time that he desperately needs as he finds himself lunging for one of the stalls as the small amount of food that he'd eaten that day came up in a violent fashion. After a while, he's left dry-heaving, breathing heavily and feeling a sense of helplessness that he hasn't felt since hearing Victor Hesse's voice over the phone.

With shaking limbs, Steve pushes to his feet and stumbles over to the sink, staring at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes are blood-shot from the puking and he's unusually pale. With a sigh, he turns on the water and cups it into his mouth to rid himself of the taste and then splashes a few handfuls on his face, the cool water feeling good against his too hot skin. He just wants this whole thing to be over. He wants to stop having to be brave for everyone and go home and just sleep, maybe for days. He can't do that right now because right now, he has to throw his shoulders back and swagger out of the bathroom like the hero everyone expects him to be. Steve McGarrett the Navy SEAL has to replace Steve McGarrett the father. The transition is easier than Steve would like.

* * *

 

**3\. El Tango de Roxanne- Moulin Rouge soundtrack**

Monroe doesn't even think about knocking on her niece's bedroom door. She just turns the knob and walks right in… finding her niece shirtless in the middle of her bedroom. Monroe's gaze moves from the stricken look on Layla's face to the bruises on her left arm to the bruises on her right arm and then back to her face.

"Aunt Mo!" Layla yells, leaping to the bed and grabbing the blanket at the end of it, pulling it over her like a shawl. "Knock first!" Monroe is still frozen in the doorway.

"Layla, what?" the indignant look on Layla's face melts away and the fear that takes over makes Monroe's heart clench.

"I don't wanna talk about it." Layla snaps. "It's nothing. I fell during practice. Can you leave? I need to get dressed." Moving on autopilot, Monroe backs out of the room, watching the door slam in her face. She tries to reconcile the things she's just seen with what she knows about her niece and the same thing keeps flashing on her mental computer screen: does not compute, does not compute.

Later, Monroe will blame this mental glitch on not noticing that her niece had snuck out of the house, a backpack slung over one shoulder, a pair of roller-blades in the other.

* * *

 

**4\. Stupid- Sarah McLachlan**

The call from Mo had been frantic. The drive home had been borderline suicidal. Now, as Steve bursts through the front door of his house, he wonders what he's going to find. His daughter in hysterics? An empty bottle of Jack Daniels on the kitchen counter? The answer is actually C: none of the above.

Layla is sitting in the living room, curled up in the overstuffed chair by the front window, I-pod earbuds in, eyes closed. Steve crosses the room in two strides and pulls the earbuds out, earning himself a yelp of surprise as his daughter blinks up at him. He looks down at his daughter and asks the question that he should have asked last night. Hell, it was the question he should have asked it the minute he found out that his daughter had broken some senior's nose with no apparent provocation.

"Why did you hit him, Layla?" it's hard to keep his voice low and controlled. His daughter pushes out of the overstuffed chair, putting them on slightly more even ground. She shrugs, turning to look out the window as she shuffles her feet. With a sigh of frustration, Steve reaches out and grabs her arm to turn her back around. The yelp that he gets is so surprising that he all but flings her arm away. Then almost instantaneously suspicion sets in and he reaches for Layla again, only to have her flinch away from him.

"Layla," Steve struggles to control this new burst of anger because Mo had been right. There was more to this than they'd originally thought. "Let me see your arms. _Now,_ " she glances at the stairs as if she can run from him and then seeming to realize that she'd get three steps at the most, her shoulders slump and she grabs the sleeves of the oversize shirt and pulls up first the right one and then the left.

Steve only needs to look once to tell that the almost perfectly spaced bruises on his daughter's slender biceps are from someone's much larger fingers and then suddenly the whole situation is that much clearer.

"He kissed me, but then I told him no and he grabbed my arms and tried to kiss me again. He wouldn't let go, so I kicked him and went back to the house. I saw him at school the next day and he said 'hey, baby; enjoy yourself last night?' and I guess I kind of lost it. I'm sorry, Daddy."

In that instant, Steve McGarrett hates himself.

* * *

 

**5\. Singin' In the Rain- Jamie Cullum**

Danny pulls into the driveway doing almost fifty and has to slam on his brakes to keep from hitting Layla's car. Behind him, he's not surprised to hear the familiar rumble of Chin's motorcycle, but right now he's focused on getting up the front steps and into the house.

Layla is standing in the entryway, looking even younger than usual with her very visible bruises and her very enormous hazel eyes. She just points towards the garage where Danny can hear the rage of a protective Navy SEAL father.

"He's been in there for ten minutes." Layla says as Chin comes through the door, followed by Kono, the latter of who wraps her arms around Layla and pulls her close. Danny leaves the comforting to them and goes into the garage, prepared for any sight.

Finding Steve McGarrett slowly sliding down the side of his father's old Mercury Marquis, his head in his hands as he sinks into a sitting position in the middle of the giant mess he's made in the garage is not one of the sights Danny is prepared for. He quietly shuts the garage door behind him and then, carefully picking his way across the garage, he crouches beside his partner.

"Hi, Danny," it's not the tone of the tough-as-nails Navy SEAL that Danny is used to and the vulnerability in his tone shakes Danny.

"Looks like you made a mess." Danny says, looking at the tools and car debris. Steve chuffs out a pathetic laugh, but doesn't look up.

"Are all the kids okay?" Steve asks and Danny politely pretends not to notice the way that his voice catches.

"Yeah, they're all at the hospital, getting checked out. It's all good." He says, putting a hand on his partner's knee. "Why don't we talk about you, babe?"

"He put his hands on my baby girl, Danny. She was hurt and I didn't listen to her. I yelled at her." Steve's head comes up and Danny can finally see the tears that his friend has been hiding. "That sonuvabitch hurt her and I _yelled_ at her. I want to kill him, Danny. I want to rip his head off with my bare hands." Danny remembers his own nerve-wracking day a few weeks ago, starting with the phone call from Rachel and ending with Grace being safe. He knows the pain Steve is going through, just like he knows that the way that Steve wants to temper that pain will never work. His partner's words from before ring in his ears, "And it's a tone that says 'I'm gonna hit somebody'." If anyone had that "tone" right now, it would be his partner.

"Well, since killing a seventeen year old boy isn't an option, let's arrest him, okay? Just you and me, partner; probably we should bring Chin too because he's pretty intimidating. Kono can stay with Layla. It'll be fun. Like a field trip."

Danny can't even begin to describe the sense of relief that blooms in his chest as a little of the homicidal rage drains from Steve's eyes. It's not even remotely close to a smile, but it opens up the possibility of a smile and for right now, Danny will take it.


	18. Episode tag for Powa Maka Moana

_Episode Tag to my Episode Tag for Powa Maka Moana_

**1\. Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya- The Dropkick Murphy's**

If Chris deMarch had had any idea what was coming for him at school on Thursday morning, he probably would have stayed in bed. As it was, he'd slept crappy Wednesday night, the pain from his broken nose keeping him falling into a peaceful sleep. Even now as he opens his locker, he curses that crazy McGarrett bitch.

Chris is so wrapped up in his internal pity dialogue that he doesn't notice the three men, armed with guns and badges, blazing a trail straight towards him. Then that's all he's noticing as the largest of the three men grabs him by the back of the neck, spins him around, and then slams him against the locker with a jarring thud. The man's hand closes around his throat and lifts until Chris is standing on his tiptoes.

"Chris deMarch?" it takes a moment for Chris to answer because he's trying to keep from peeing his pants at the sight of the sheer and utter fury in his attacker's eyes. The breezeway around them has done eerily silent.

"Y-yeah?" he asks, hoping this is one of those pranks that his teammates are famous for pulling. The big man with the intense green eyes leans in so his face is inches from Chris's and smiles. It's not a nice smile.

" _If you ever touch my daughter again, I will kill you. Do you understand me? I will kill you and I'll get away with it. And do you know why?_ " Chris really doesn't, but he can't say that because the air that's getting to his brain isn't sufficient.

" _It's_ _because I'm a Navy SEAL and that's what I'm trained to do, Chris. I'm trained to kill. So let's go over it one more time, to make sure you get it. If you put your hands on my daughter ever again… hell, if you even think about her, I will kill you._ " The man says this softly and even though he doesn't know this guy from Adam, he believes him. " _Now, nod if you understand me._ " Chris swallows hard before nodding, the movement tiny under the man's grip.

Then one of the other men – an older Asian man – that Chris hadn't noticed before steps up behind the guy and puts a hand on his shoulder.

"McGarrett… Principal's coming." It's all Chris can do not to pass out right then and there as the realization that the man who has him pinned up against the lockers is Layla McGarrett's father sinks in.

* * *

 

**2\. Boom, Boom- Big Head Todd and the Monsters**

Danny Williams has always been a little guy. He's had to fight because of his size and he's started fights because of his size. He highly doubts that Steve McGarrett has ever gotten in a fight because someone called him a 'little midget man'. He also idly wonders what high school would have been like with someone like McGarrett there to watch his back.

Danny wonders this as he watches his partner physically lift 250 pounds of terrified teenage boy up onto his tippy-toes and snarl in his face like a rabid wolverine. Behind him, Chin is on crowd-control in case any of the kid's friends decide that they'd like to join in. Then Chin is moving past him, muttering 'principal' under his breath as he steps up to Steve's side.

Danny turns to find a much older man pushing through the crowd, an indignant expression on his face. Now, Danny has never really cared for school principals, first from his own dealings with them and secondly from Grace's dealings with them. So he's more than happy to block the man's way when he finally emerges from the students and tries to go straight for McGarrett.

"Sorry, police business." He says, folding his arms across his chest and gazing blandly at the man. "Gonna have to ask you to take a step back, sir."

"But he's assaulting a student! A minor!" the principal flusters. Danny opens his mouth to reply when a murmur goes through the crowd. He looks over to see that Steve is pushing Chris deMarch into a nearby classroom, Chin covering him. He turns back to the principal.

"Actually, according to school records, Chris deMarch turned 18 three days ago, incidentally on the same day as the party at which he tried to assault my partner's underage daughter. So… he's not really assaulting a student." Danny says, shoving his hands in his pockets and taking a step back from the principal. "Now… if you'll excuse me, I have to go help interrogate a suspect."

* * *

 

**3\. Light It Up- Rev Theory**

After Danny comes through the door, Chin plants himself in front of it, folds his arm across his chest, and watches Steve shove Chris deMarch into a desk at the back of the classroom and loom over him.

"So here's the deal, Chris," If Chin didn't know any better, he'd swear that Danny and Steve has practiced this kind of interrogation, both circling the suspect, menacing expressions on their faces. Chin has no doubts that he is the muscle in this situation and so he just sits back and settles in for the show. Danny is speaking as Steve stalks the boy who looks like he's one good 'boo' away from fainting dead away. "My partner's daughter doesn't want to press charges." The relief that crosses the boy's face quickly disappears as Danny leans forwards, slamming his hands down on the desk.

"We're not happy about it, but we're also going to respect her wishes. That being said, we'd like to detail a plan for you so that you understand while she's getting over this whole thing, we, we being the men in her life, are most certainly not "getting over it"." Danny makes air quotes as he speaks.

"This is Steve McGarrett," Danny indicates Steve. "He is Layla's father. I'm Danny Williams, his partner. And the guy at the door who looks like he can probably kill you with his mind is Chin Ho Kelly." Inside, Chin is cracking up at Danny's description, outside, his face is blank. "We represent the most important men in her life with possibly the exception of the members of One Direction or some other teen heart throb. And if you ever touch her again… actually, if you touch _any_ girl the same way you touched Layla, we will all get together, hunt you down, and we will kill you. Do you understand?" the teenager's face is pale as he nods so rapidly that Chin thinks his head might fall off.

"Good. We apologize for interrupting your day. Steven?" Chin is really glad that Danny is with them. He doesn't think that he could have controlled Steve by himself, not with the ease that Danny does. Steve gives the kid in the desk another death glare and then stalks through the door that Chin has opened, scattering curious high schoolers in front of him. Danny follows him, and with one more pointed look at the kid in the desk, Chin follows Danny, slamming the door shut behind him.

* * *

 

**4\. Into the Night- Santana feat. Chad Kroeger**

The exhaustion sets in as soon as Steve sinks into the passenger seat of Danny's car. He manages to wave a goodbye/thanks to Chin as the man roars off on his motorcycle, but that's about it. The emotional strain of the last three days is finally catching up with him, so he just lies back against the seat and closes his eyes.

"Feel better?" Danny asks as he climbs into the driver's seat and cranks the engine over. Steve grunts. He wants to sleep more than anything, the previous night having been filled with background searches and plotting.

"Well, I'm glad to see that your vocabulary hasn't suffered any," Danny mutters, but Steve knows he isn't as put-out as he sounds.

"Home, Jeeves." He manages to mutter and hears Danny's snort of derision, but then his partner reaches across him and buckles him in and Steve can't help the sleepy smile that turns up the corners of his mouth.

"Aw, that's sweet, Danno." He mumbles seconds before the sleep that's been clawing at the corners of his brain takes over and he falls into darkness. What Steve doesn't see, however, is one of Danny's hands form into a gesture that strongly hints at his Jersey heritage, an affectionate smile tugging at his own mouth.

* * *

 

**5\. Layla- Derrick and the Dominoes**

Layla has been tucked under her father's arm for the last three hours as they watched reruns of _Ghost Hunters_ and _I Dream of Jeannie_. Every time she starts to get off the couch, his arm tightens and he gives her a look like she might disappear if he let's go, so she's been sitting there even though she really, really has to pee. Finally, she sits up and pulls away.

"Dad, my bladder's gonna explode. I'll be right back." He lets her go, but she can feel his gaze on her back the entire way to the bathroom. She finishes up in the bathroom, comes back out, and crawls under his arm. It's not a unique thing, she knows, to feel so absolutely safe with one's father, but she loves it all the same. She feels sorry for other girls who don't have the same relationship with their fathers.

"Whaddya wanna watch now?" her father asks, his hand pointing the remote at the TV as he flicks through the guide. "We can watch anything you want."

"Ummm, Food Network? Chopped marathon?" She says, knowing that the odds are good that she'll fall asleep at some point during it because she's getting sleepy. Her father rumbles in consent and turns the TV to the appropriate channel.

Layla settles in, feeling her eyes starting to droop. She's asleep minutes later, lulled to sleep by the sound of her father's heartbeat and the her father's arms around her.  



	19. Loa Aloha

**1\. Rescue Me- Fontella Bass**

" _Oh my god_ , you have to help me." Kono looks up as the whirlwind of energy that is Layla McGarrett bursts into her office and flings herself into one of the chars in front of her desk. Outside the office, she sees Steve approach Chin's desk and greet him with the standard pseudo-violence that always seems to accompany man on man greetings.

"What's the matter?" Kono asks, used to the antics of the teenager by now.

"We need to have a sleepover at your house. It's imperative to my mental health, Kono. He's driving me crazy!" Layla says, emphasizing her words by digging both of her hands into her hair and pulling it out from her head so that she looks vaguely like Albert Einstein. Over Layla's head, Kono sees Steve speaking with Chin, but all the while keeping an eye on his daughter.

"He's just being over-protective, Layla." Kono says, waving off the teenager's drama. Layla leaps out of the chair, startling her as she suddenly encroaches into Kono's personal space, leaving over the desk.

"He's watching me sleep, Kono. He's taking pictures of me when I dance, he made me a giant breakfast this morning _with coffee which he never lets me drink!_ and he offered to take me shopping… for clothes. He's lost his mind!" Kono looks back and forth between the two McGarrett's taking in the hawk-like gaze of the older one and the slightly crazed look of the younger one and sighs.

"I'll see what I can do."

* * *

 

**2\. Loca- Shakira**

After the second romantic comedy of the night, Chin is ready to pull his hair out, so when Layla bounces over to the DVD player, he holds up a hand.

"Can we please watch something that doesn't involve wedding planners or blind dates or Katherine Heigl or any combination of the three?" At the other end of the couch, Kono arches an eyebrow at him, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"What's the matter, cuz? Too much estrogen for you?" he glares at his cousin. It had been her idea to come over and hang out tonight, a suggestion that he now realizes had been a cleverly laid trap, baited with the knowledge that Layla had offered to cook.

"I am perfectly comfortable watching romantic comedies; I just think we could stand to mix it up a little." He says.

"Well, I think you're lying, but I'm willing to bend." Layla says as she rifles through the almost foot-high stack of DVD's that she and Kono have accumulated for their "sleepover". Chin knows that while Kono had protested the whole thing, she'd secretly been happy about it, having been raised with four older brothers and a plethora of male cousins. Layla finally pops up with two DVD cases in her hands.

"Okay, so given your incredibly narrow terms, your choices are now either Eclipse or Megamind, both of which fit the criterion that you laid out." She says.

Chin drops his head back against the couch and groans.

* * *

 

**3\. Just A Dream- Nelly**

"Don't go there." Steve looks up from his hands. He knows his partner just spoke, the words are practically still ringing in his ears, but Danny is staring out the windshield, his hands loose on the wheel as he guides them along the freeway.

"What?" he asks, glad for the conversation because now he has something else to focus on other than the noise in his head.

"Don't think about Layla when you work cases like this. It'll drive you insane." Danny says, finally looking over at him. "Trust me. Don't bring your home life to work and don't take your work home with you." Steve sighs. Is he really getting that easy to read?

"This guy is killing people's kids, Danny. How can I not let it get to me?" he asks, clenching his hands into fists on his knees.

"Compartmentalize." Danny says, his face serious. "You can't think about her. Just remind yourself that you're going to her at the end of the day and then focus on work. It'll fuck up your mind if you don't."

* * *

 

**4\. Moondance- August Rush soundtrack**

When her father envelops her in a hug that stops just short of bone-crushing, Layla doesn't struggle. She just returns the hug, resting her forehead against his shoulder. There's something in his eyes, something that's hurt, but she's never been particularly good at dispensing advice, so she just lets him have this moment of closeness.

He pulls back after a bit and kisses her on the cheek before asking in a rough voice how her day was. Layla smiles up at him, ready with stories from the sleepover at Kono's and Chin's ability to quote dialogue from Cary Grant movies and an exact retelling of the spider in the bathtub this morning – complete with gestures because she'd practically reenacted the storming of the beaches at Normandy, trying to kill the damn thing – because he needs this, a reassurance that nothing's changed during the day and that she's okay and that he's okay.

She figures maybe if she makes some monster chocolate chip cookies later, that wouldn't hurt either.

* * *

 

**5\. Goodnight, Goodnight- Maroon 5**

Danny doesn't want to admit that he's wallowing, but after he'd left Rachel's, he'd driven to a nearby store and picked up a six-pack of beer. The cans now sat on the bottom shelf of his refrigerator, mocking him from the kitchen as he sits on his bed/couch, staring at a water spot on the ceiling. If there's another description for wallowing, he'd be hard pressed to come up with it.

Matty is gone. Danny's having a hard time reconciling the memories of his baby brother with the knowledge that his sibling is a con artist and a thief. Then there's the part where he has to deal with the repercussions of letting his brother go, what it means for him, both professionally and personally. In fact, Danny is so deeply mired in his self-loathing that he doesn't notice that he isn't alone until a voice speaks.

"I can't believe you trust him to watch your back. He's a day dreamer." Raising his head off the back of the couch, Danny looks towards the direction of his front door, finding the McGarrett's standing in the frame of his screen door.

"Layla," Steve says, with a faintly warning tone to his voice. The teenager shrugs and kicks the bottom of the door, making it vibrate in the door jamb.

"Let us in, Danno." She orders. Danny wants to be alone. He doesn't want to talk to anyone about how he feels, he doesn't want to make small talk, and most of all, he doesn't want to bask in the attention of his partner and his daughter because Danny just doesn't deserve that kind of caring right now. He starts to open his mouth to make an excuse about that when he catches sight of something through the screen. Layla has something that looks suspiciously familiar in her hand. She notices his gaze and raises the mystery package into the light of the porch. Danny's words die in his throat at the sight of a six-pack of Pepsi.

"Dad said that it probably works best with a six-pack of beer, but I can't drink." Layla says, her young face so warm and caring that Danny's heart constricts.

"So I got soda instead. I like to think it's the thought that counts. You gonna let us in now, Danno?" for an moment, she reminds him so strongly of Grace that he's up and off the couch, moving to the door and unlatching it before he realizes what he's doing. Layla moves past him, soda in one hand, backpack in the other. Steve follows her, his own backpack over his shoulder and a Tupperware container in the other hand. Danny can see the thick outline of cookies behind the smoky plastic and his mouth involuntarily waters.

He leans against the door jamb and watches as Layla disappears into his tiny kitchen with the soda as Steve takes up residence on the end of the couch, putting the cookies on the coffee table. Then Layla comes back out of the kitchen and sits next to him, opening her backpack and pulling out a dogeared book. As if on some unspoken cue, she and Steve both settle down, focused intently on their projects. Danny waits for a few beats, expecting the talking to start soon. When it doesn't, he clears his throat and both McGarrett's look up.

"What?" Layla asks, marking her spot in her book with one finger. Danny realizes then just exactly what they're doing. He folds his arms over his chest and clears his throat, trying to swallow past the lump that has suddenly formed there.

"Nothing." He says, hoping his voice won't crack. Layla nods and turns her attention back to her book, but Steve smiles in a knowing way at him before going back to the paperwork in his lap.

Danny rubs a hand across his face as he steps over to the couch and sinks down next to Layla. she brings her legs up, tucking her toes under his leg as she settles in more comfortably against her father. Without even looking up from her book, she reaches out and shoves the cookie container in his direction.

Danny smiles for what feels like the first time in years.


	20. Ne Me'e Laua Na Paio

**1\. Lie To Me- Johnny Lang**

Seconds before she knocks on Steve McGarrett's door, Jenna Kaye adjusts the collar of her white shirt and squares her shoulders. She can do this. She _has_ to do this. Get in, get the information, and get out. It's a simple assignment and she has to do this… not just for those who have fallen in the line of duty, but for herself and for her own sanity. Clearing her throat, Jenna raises a hand and knocks on the door. It opens a few minutes later, but it's not the chiseled Lt. Commander Steve McGarrett who answers.

"My father has the governor on speed dial." The teenager in the doorway says, her arms folded across her chest, a scowl on her face. "So you'd better make this good," Jenna blinks at the irritation in her tone and then realizes that this girl – who must be the daughter mentioned in McGarrett's file, Layla - has mistaken her for an FBI agent.

"Special Agent Jenna Kaye, Central Intelligence Agency," she flips her badge open like she practiced in the hotel mirror. Layla gives it a cursory glance before turning her disaffected gaze back to her face. "Is your father home?" Jenna isn't expecting what comes out of the teenager's mouth next.

"No, you're not." Layla retorts, her lips curling up in more of a snarl than a smile. Jenna only just manages to keep her mouth from falling open.

"You're not CIA, so if you'll excuse me… I have a Dog the Bounty Hunter marathon waiting for me on the TV." The girl says, her arms unfolding as one of her hands goes to grip the door. As the door slams in her face, Jenna recalls the note in McGarrett's file about his daughter's mother and scowls. With a muttered curse, she turns and stalks down the front walk to her car.

Jenna hates going with Plan B.

* * *

 

**2\. Green Light- John Legend**

"No, I'm serious. There was a three week span where she absolutely refused to eat salad." Danny has to bite the inside of his lip to keep the laughter inside as Steve recounts a tale from Layla's childhood. "I used to make her stay at the table until she ate at least three bites of salad. One night, we were there so long that she fell asleep on the table. I wish someone had given her a nutrition class when she was that young."

"So how'd she learn to cook?" Danny asks, leaning back in the seat and folding his hands over his stomach as he waited for story time. In the driver's seat Steve tenses ever so slightly, but that's all that it takes.

"Her mother?" he gently pushes and Steve's hands tighten on the wheel even as he nods with a tight jerky movement.

"Nani could cook really well." Steve says, staring out the windshield. Danny suspects that between the CIA agent this morning digging into his father and recalling his daughter's mother, that Steve's mind is in a very not good place right now.

"We don't have to talk about it." Danny offers, more than willing to just shut up and turn on the radio so that there's no awkward silence. Steve shrugs.

"Nani was… Nani. She could do everything well." Danny thinks there might be more that's left unsaid about that statement, but he doesn't push. "Including lie. She was really good at that one." Silence fills the car after this, Steve lost in his thoughts, Danny reviewing the new information he's gathered. Someday he knows he'll get the entire story, but today… someone really needs to turn the radio on.

* * *

 

**3\. Watching You- Rodney Atkins**

"So, I don't have anything to worry about?" Layla asks on a sigh as if she's resigned herself to the fact that her life is going to involve copious amounts of danger from now on.

"Nothing at all; Jenna's one of the good guys." Steve says, trying to reassure himself as well as his daughter.

"Not that it matters, but I'm pretty sure even if she wasn't that I could have taken her." Layla replies, the TV playing in the background. "She's not exactly the most intimidating person I've ever met." A mental picture of Layla picking a fight with Jenna Kaye forms in Steve's mind and he sighs because it's really not outside the realm of possibility.

"No fighting with CIA agents," he intones because the way his life is going the possibility is not out of reach.

"Fine," Layla mutters and he can hear something rustle in the background. "Can I eat some of your dried mango slices?" she asks, changing the subject in typical Layla fashion. Steve smiles because he's pretty sure that rustling noise in the background is the bag that contains his mango slices.

"Enjoy, sweetheart. I'll see you when I get home. We still on for tomorrow night?" he asks. Layla grunts something that sounds like an affirmation, but that also serves to tell Steve that if he wants dried mango slices when he gets home, he's going to need to swing by the store and pick up some more.

* * *

 

**4\. Shooter- Lil Wayne feat. Robin Thicke**

Wo Fat makes it a point to study everything about his opponent's lives. He thinks this might possibly be the first time a study has involved such an interesting subject that wasn't actually his adversary.

The teenage girl is clearly aware that she's being watched and not simply by Wo Fat. In the middle of the dance studio, she is the center of attention and it's clearly something that she enjoys as she moves to the music as if she's a part of it. Wo Fat sees very little of Steve McGarrett in his daughter which makes sense because her mother is such a dominant person in real life it makes sense that her genetics would be equally as strong.

Layla McGarrett is tall and slender, the physical epitome of a dancer. Her long dark hair and the exotic cast to her features seem to make her even more attractive. The other male occupants of the dance studio seem to agree with Wo Fat's assessment. No one has noticed him, just inside the door, watching the dancers who are practicing in the middle of the room and he prefers it that way. He's stayed too long anyway. What was supposed to be a simple visit to see McGarrett's daughter is turning into something else and he blames former interactions with Nani Lakuala as the cause. He truly hopes the phrase 'like mother, like daughter' is not applicable in this case because if it is, Steven L. McGarrett may no longer be the only threat on this island.

* * *

 

**5\. Thinking 'Bout Somethin'- Hanson**

"…because your new-found healthy habits are cock-blocking my creative process! _God!_ " Steve comes back downstairs to find his daughter and his partner going twelve rounds in the kitchen and the other members of his team sitting at the kitchen table, struggling with to keep their amusement quiet.

"Everything okay in here?" he asks because if it comes to blows, he doesn't know who he should protect first, Layla or Danny.

"Captain Healthy here doesn't want meatloaf." Layla growls, her arms folded across her chest. "Says it's not good for him,"

"It's not my fault that the absolutely delicious food that you make is full of saturated fats and other things that will make my heart explode." Danny says, glowering at Layla.

"I am _not_ making salad for dinner." Layla says, her eyes narrowing. "I don't care if your cholesterol is sky-high. We are not having rabbit food for dinner. I need protein… I need-." Layla abruptly breaks off, turns to the fridge, opens it and sticks her head in. Danny throws his hand up in the air as Kono almost falls off her chair.

"Steak? Anyone want steak? Dad, will you barbecue?" the questions fly fast and furious as Layla straightens up. Steve looks from Layla to Danny and back again.

"If everyone can agree on what we eat, I will." He says and then backs away to lean against the kitchen counter.

"Steak for dinner?" Layla asks. Danny purses his lips.

"With a salad?"

"A potato salad,"

"A green salad,"

"No,"

"Then no steak."

" _Danny!_ "

"Fine... then a vegetable of some kind,"

"Corn on the cob?"

"Is butter optional?"

"Yes,"

"Okay then,"

"Fine," Layla mutters, holding out her hand to Danny who shakes it. "Lemme add in baked beans and biscuits and you have yourself a deal, detective." Steve is now biting his own lip to keep from laughing at the bargaining. Chin has just given up and is slumped face-first on the kitchen table, his shoulders quaking with silent laughter.

"Deal," Danny says, gesturing for Layla to precede him out toward the lanai. "Now, let's talk steak sauce." As the two of them disappear out the French doors, the kitchen is suddenly full of laughter as the remaining three finally give up all pretense and burst out laughing.


	21. Ma Ke Kahakai

**1\. Faithfully- Glee version**

"Layla?" Steve asks, risking the possibility of breaking his neck by stepping into the bedroom without turning on the light, his shin instantly bumping into something that feels like a backpack. The lump in the bed, illuminated by the hallway light, stirs and the dark head of hair poking out of the blanket lifts ever so slightly off the pillow before collapsing back onto it as if unable to support its own weight.

"Layla," he says, a bit louder and this time, he gingerly steps over to the bed and pulls back the comforter. So that's where his other SEAL t-shirt went. He puts his hand on his daughter's shoulder and gives her a gentle shake.

"What?" the voice is muffled and slurred. Steve smiles.

"You wanna go up to Ko'olau with Danny and me? I'm taking him to see the petroglyphs." he asks, reaching out to brush her dark brown hair out of her face. Two slightly-sleepy, but still fully capable of glaring hazel eyes meet his, more green than brown in the hallway light.

"What time is it?" she asks, pushing his hand away and sitting up, yawning. Steve looks at the face of his dive watch.

"Just turned 0545," Steve says and then grunts as she punches him in the thigh.

"What?" he asks even though the blow hadn't hurt.

"You woke me up before 6 am to ask me if I want to go look at cliff paintings? I should short-sheet your bed." Layla mutters, scrubbing her hands across her face. Steve smiles as she settles back down into bed and he crouches next to her, pulling the blankets back up to her chin.

"You're right. Clearly, I wasn't thinking." He says, brushing more hair back from her face. She smiles softly at him, sleep making her eyes droop.

"I love you, sweetheart." He says, leaning in and kissing her forehead.

"I love you too, Dad," she mumbles, eyes closed. Steve smoothes his hand across her hair one last time and then stands, picks his way back across the bedroom and quietly closes the door before going back downstairs where his partner is on his second cup of coffee and is almost as grouchy as his daughter.

* * *

 

**2\. I've Got You Under My Skin- Frank Sinatra**

"Watching you eat that thing, I'm trying to decide what you missed most about Hawaii; your daughter or shave ice." Nani Lakuala shoots her partner a dirty look as she licks blue-raspberry flavoring off her lips. Trevor Caine just shrugs and goes back to his coffee, having eschewed shave ice for caffeine. Nani looks up from her treat, making sure that her daughter is still on the beach blanket twenty yards away, laughing and flirting with the teenage boy who'd just brought her a shave ice of her own.

"You ever regret it?" Trevor asks, breaking the silence. Nani sighs before turning her attention to him. "Leaving her here?"

"As opposed to what, Trevor? Dragging a three-year old all over the world while I played spy for the CIA?" Nani struggles to control her temper because she doesn't need to take out her anger out on him. After all, he's not really the one she's mad at. Layla laughs, the sound floating across the beach and into Nani's ear.

She hasn't heard that sound in a very long time.

"You could have declined your father's offer." Trevor says, sloshing around the beverage in his cup. "Stayed here on the Island with the SEAL and been a soccer mom…" he trails off, his head cocking to the side as if he's trying to imagine her as a card-carrying member of the PTA. "Then maybe..." he stops again, his gaze locked on Layla.

"Then maybe… what? Maybe my own daughter wouldn't hate me? Maybe I'd still have some kind of relationship with my ex? Are you trying to piss me off today?" she asks her teammate. "I did what I had to do. Look at her," she turns as she speaks. Layla is standing now, stripping off her white cover-up, revealing a pink and black polka-dot bikini.

"Layla is beautiful, she's well-adjusted, and most importantly, she's happy. Somehow, she manages to do all that without me anywhere near her life." Nani says, looking down at the watch on her wrist. 1350, her meeting is in ten minutes down on the boardwalk. She pushes to her feet, brushing sand off her backside and hands Trevor the rapidly melting shave ice. "I'll be back in an hour…" she walks a few steps away, gives Layla one last look and then turns back to Trevor.

"Oh, and if that boy tries anything, you have my permission to shoot him." she's walks away again and that's why she pretends like she can't hear Trevor's parting shot.

"You never answered my question,"

* * *

 

**3\. You Really Got Me- The Kinks**

"… waiting for the doctor to come and set my arm and then I'll be all done."

"You're a walking trouble magnet."

"Why thank you, sweetheart. I love you too."

"No, I'm dead serious here, Dad. You were supposed to go see the petroglyphs and you found a dead body. If we go to the bank tomorrow, are we going to walk in on a robbery? Is it safe to be in public with you anymore?"

"Cute, Layla, real cute."

"But... you're okay, right?"

"Yes, honey. I'm fine. I just broke my forearm and I have a few more cuts and bruises than I started the day with."

"I'm starting to think that this may be par for the course when it comes to you, Dad. How's Danny handling this newest McDilemma?"

"Okay, first, you have to promise to stop using that as a descriptive word and secondly, he told me he loved me."

"Um… what?"

"Okay, here's what happened. I was in…"

* * *

 

**4\. The Boy Is Mine- Glee version**

Chin looks up at the soft knock on his office door, smiling broadly when he sees Layla through the glass, crossing her eyes and sticking her tongue out at him. He gestures her inside and she comes right in, plopping down in the chair across from his desk.

"You ready for dinner at the Hotel tonight?" he asks, looking back to the computer and finishing the last few lines of his AAR before returning his attention to her.

"Steak and fireworks; my two favorite things," Layla says, folding her hands across her stomach, but Chin can tell that her mind isn't on the pending celebration.

"What's up?" he asks, leaning back in his chair, giving her his patented "I'm the perfect sounding board" look. To his surprise, Layla doesn't even try to hem and haw around the problem.

"Kono told me about your auntie. I'm sorry, Chin." A powerful rush of emotion rises in his stomach and Chin knows that his feelings are written plainly across his face. Layla sits up, leaning towards him, brushing some loose hair behind her ear as she does so.

"I'm glad that you got to go see her today." The teenager continues. "Kono seems really sad, so I wanted to make sure that you were okay too." Something in Chin's chest clenches tightly and he feels the recently familiar feel of moisture at the corners of his eyes.

"Thank you, Layla." He says, his voice low and measured. She smiles at him.

"I offer all kinds of little sister services from being annoying to being a great listener." Layla says, pushing out of her chair with the elegance of a natural-born dancer and offers him a hand across the desk. "Now, be a good big brother and let's go get me some medium-rare cow."

* * *

 

**5\. How Come You Don't Call Me- Alicia Keys**

All day long, Layla has had this one particular itchy spot in the middle of her back, a spot that she can easily reach and has scratched almost raw, but the prickly sensation is still there. It's like someone's watching her, their eyes boring into her back and it's driving her nuts. She gave up looking for the mysterious observer three hours ago, but now as Danny and her father drop her off in front of Mo's house, she's more aware of that feeling than ever before. She waves goodbye to Danny, leans in the passenger side of the window and kisses her Dad goodbye and watches them drive off.

The lights are off in the house which means that Aunt Mo is still at the gallery and Layla suddenly wishes very much that her aunt was home right now and that every light was blazing. She grabs her house key out of her purse as she mounts the steps of the front porch, but when she puts the key in the lock, that feeling of being watched intensifies to the point that it's like a physical touch.

A board on the porch creaks behind her and Layla spins, throwing an elbow, just like Kono taught her. She catches the person who'd come up behind her in the side of the head, driving them backwards with a surprised grunt and Layla immediately reaches for her key again, twisting it in the lock, but not quite managing to get the knob turned before the assailant is back, spinning her around and slamming her against the front door, a forearm pressed  against her throat, pinned in place by the body of her attacker.

It's the feeling of a female body pressed against hers that sends realization plowing into Layla's brain and she automatically reaches out and gently tugs the woman's left ear lobe. As if it were an off-switch, the woman loosens her grip.

"Well that explains a lot," Layla says, pushing her captor away with maybe more force than necessary. She reaches up to rub the sore spot on the back of her head where her skull had impacted the front door. "Hi, Mom,"


	22. Ho'opa'i

**1\. Soul of a Man- Beck**

Trevor Caine leans back in the wrought iron chair of the small café, watching the dark-haired girl who has all but curled up in her own chair, two empty coffee cups on the table in front of her, a hardback book with a lurid cover featuring a giant shark and a scuba diver who is gushing blood. It's 9:34 am and the teenager should be in school, with her nose buried in a text book, but instead, she's here, ignoring her phone and burning through the hundred dollars that she withdrew from her bank account this morning.

Not having kids or having any desire to have kids, he doesn't fully understand Nani's decisions, but she's been his partner for almost five years and he trusts her implicitly so that's why he's hanging out on the beachfront today instead of sitting through meetings with the rest of his team. Across the outside patio from him, Layla reaches for her coffee mug and then apparently realizing that she drained the remaining contents about ten minutes ago, looks around for the waitress. Her gaze meet his across the patio and Trevor is momentarily surprised at the pain in her expression, then her gaze has swept past him and he sighs.

Damnit, he hopes Nani knows that the hell she's doing.

* * *

 

**2\. Sober- P!nk**

"What do you mean she's been absent all day?" Steve asks, pinning the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he grabs his service weapon off his desk and tucks it into the holster at his hip.

"I got one of those automated calls from her school today to say she wasn't in any of her classes today." Mo says, sounding angry. "And then Ryan called and said that she missed practice. She isn't answering her phone either, it goes straight to voicemail." Steve sighs as he pushes out of his office and catches Danny's attention.

"Well, keep trying her and if she hasn't answered by the time I get back to the office, I'll have Kono ping her phone and go get her." Mo mumbles an affirmative and hangs up and Steve sighs as he pushes open the main door, gesturing for Danny to go first. Of all the things that he doesn't need to deal with today, his daughter skipping school is close to the top. Steve pushes number 1 on his speed dial, grimacing when it goes to voicemail right away. Grumbling, he puts his phone in his pocket and tries to ignore Danny's questioning look.

* * *

 

**3\. Mummers Dance- Loreena Mckennit**

Danny knows trouble when he sees it and the expression on Steve's face can only be defined as t-r-o-u-b-l-e. Layla has been incommunicado since around eight this morning. It is now rapidly approaching 6 pm and there is still nothing. It also doesn't help Steve's mental state that this entire case revolves around a vigilante father and a little boy who had just seen his mother get shot. That's why when he sees his partner leave the interrogation room and head towards the bathroom, he follows him.

Quietly slipping through the almost-closed door, he just barely has time to side-step before the garbage can from the other end of the room slams into the wall. Steve is pacing on the other end of the bathroom, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides, breathing heavily. He's pissed and Danny wisely just stays against the wall, not announcing his presence in any way. He knows that Steve knows that he's there, but he's most certainly not going to be the first one to speak here.

It takes a few minutes and for Steve to kick a stall door almost off its hinges before any words are exchanged.

"What do you want, Danny?" his partner's voice is low and barely controlled.

"Just came in to wash my hands," he says, stepping up to the nearest sink to demonstrate his intentions.

"Okay, you do that." Steve says, all the anger leaving him one fell swoop, his shoulders visibly sagging. Danny feels for his friend, he really does, but Steve isn't the kind of guy who's into talking about his feelings at all, so he washes his hands, dries them off with a paper towel and then carefully puts them in the newly relocated garbage can.

"You ready?" he asks, holding open the bathroom door. Steve sighs, straightens his shoulders and walks out of the bathroom, giving Danny a small nod as he does so. Danny smiles a little to himself and follows his partner.

* * *

 

**4\. Tik Tok- Ke$ha**

So the little one has acquired a shadow.

Wo Fat leans against the waist-high retaining wall above the beach and watches the blonde man who is surreptitiously observing Layla McGarrett as she joins one of the  dancers on the boardwalk, her dark hair flying as she dances. The new onlooker is very much not HPD or FBI or CIA or anyone government related which leaves one option. Wo Fat smiles to himself as he pulls his phone out and presses a number on his speed dial. It rings twice before a clipped male voice answers.

"There are other players on the Island. Find out who they are." He orders and shuts his phone, returning it to his pocket. The answer comes three minutes later via text message, reading:  _Nani Lakuala + team at the Hawaii Hilton. Purpose unknown._  Wo Fat absorbs this new information as he turns his attention back to McGarrett's daughter.

The feeling of being watched distracts him and Wo Fat looks up to find that Layla's shadow is now watching him, a scowl darkening his face. With a smirk, he inclines his head at the man and steps back from the retaining wall, merging into the crowd. This is truly an interesting development.

* * *

 

**5\. Let Her Cry- Hootie and the Blowfish**

Kono swallows the rest of the double-shot espresso, shuddering as the bitter liquid trickles down her throat and turns her bleary eyes on the other three people gathered in Steve McGarrett's kitchen. Steve is by far the most alert of them all and Kono wishes she could have that much constant energy. Of course, the only reason that Steve's all wound up is because Layla has been missing since this morning and it's now coming up on 1 am. They've looked everywhere, called all her friends, had the officers of HPD keep an eye out for her, and Chin had even quietly called all the hospitals and the morgue, looking relieved when the answer came back no. Now, a light rain-storm has started pelting the windows and caused a slight chill in the air, adding an element of misery to their night.

They're getting ready to head out again when the faint sound of a key scraping the lock comes and as one unit, the four of them come out of the kitchen and surround the front door which opens to reveal an exhausted-looking, dripping-wet teenage girl in a sundress, a black backpack slung over her shoulder. Steve starts in immediately, his voice raised and angry, Danny comes in on the chorus, his Jersey accent adding a sarcastic tone to his scolding, and Chin has on his most disapproving big brother glare. Kono is quiet because there's a look in Layla's eyes that says something is very wrong and she doesn't need any more scolding right now.

That feeling of wrongness is justified when Layla closes the door behind her, puts her backpack down – Steve and Danny lecturing all the while – and bursts into tears, heavy heart-breaking sobs that shake her slender frame. The transformation is immediate: Steve steps forward, enveloping her in his arms, Danny's arms fall to his sides and he quietly steps up next to him, putting a hand on Layla's back, and Chin's face loses all of its sternness. Kono stays out of the way, trying to blink the gritty feeling away from her eyes.

Layla's sobbing shows no signs of stopping, so Steve carefully picks her up as if she is a little girl and carries her upstairs, his head stroking across her dark hair as he murmurs in her ear. Danny sighs, runs a hand across his face and gestures towards the kitchen. That's where Steve appears twenty minutes later, looking a little like someone just mule-kicked him in the gut, his shirt still damp from his daughter's tears.

"Everything okay?" Chin asks as Steve makes a bee-line for the refrigerator, opens it, and pulls out a beer, cracking it open and taking a long pull. Kono leans back in the kitchen chair and waits for an explanation. Steve sighs, rubbing a hand down his face before he looks at them.

"Not really, no. Her mother is in town." 


	23. Ho'ohuli Na'au

**1\. All I Want To Do- Sugarland**

Chin opens his front door with a smile, already knowing what awaits him on the other side. Steve is wide awake and smiling in return, but the teenage girl tucked under his boss's arm looks vaguely like she's thinking about killing someone… as soon as she's fully awake.

"Don't think of it as being babysat," Steve says as he physically hands his daughter over to Chin who gives her a hug hello and takes her backpack. "Think of it as a breakfast date." Layla looks annoyed at her father's attempt to define the current situation as something other than Chin keeping an eye on her so she doesn't pull a runner like yesterday… oh, and so her mother won't have any access to her.

"I loathe you right now." She says, but leans back to kiss him on the cheek before vanishing into the house. Chin smiles at her antics and waves goodbye to Steve who is already headed to his truck for his morning run.

Chin closes the front door and steps into the living room, finding Layla already seated on the couch, flipping through one of the magazines on the coffee table. She looks up at him and smiles.

"Feed me, Seymour." She says and Chin laughs.

"Give me a second to get my shoes on and we'll go down the street to Auntie May's. Sound good?" Layla's eyes light up and Chin knows he is officially the favorite Five-0 task force member of the moment.

Thirty minutes later, they're seated at a table on the patio, drinking fresh-squeezed orange juice and waiting for their breakfast. All signs of the distraught teenager from last night are gone, Layla is laughing and flirting with their waiter and teasing Chin about his cholesterol level and that's all that matters to Chin right now.

* * *

 

**2\. Get Back- Demi Lavato**

The CIA agent is scared of her. Layla doesn't know if she should exploit this or just ignore her and watch TV. As it is, the hotel room is awkwardly quiet, the silence broken only by Agent Kaye clearing her throat or Layla turning one of the pages in her textbook, trying to catch up on the school work that she missed yesterday.

She's stuck in this hotel room until her father gets off work and while she would usually protest the imprisonment, she isn't really in the mood to deal with her mother again, in any capacity. That's why she's quietly sitting at the table in the corner, trying to puzzle through the worksheet from Miss Procter.

"Um," Agent Kaye breaks the silence and Layla looks up, marking her spot in the textbook with her finger. The woman is holding out one of those big tubs of licorice, an uncertain expression on her face. "Want a piece?" Layla reaches out and snags three pieces of licorice, settling back on the bed.

"You know, I don't know what my Dad told you, but I don't bite." She says, looking at the other woman as she nibbles on one of the pieces of candy.

"I'm not scared of you." The other woman blurts out. Layla rolls her eyes as she reopens her book.

"Whatever you say, Agent Kaye." She mutters, adding under her breath. "I could take you anyway."

* * *

 

**3\. Burn It To the Ground- Nickelback**

Nani hits the front door of the condo like she's going after a high-value target in some slum in Rio di Janero. Her booted foot hits right next to the lock, popping the door off the hinges and she strides inside, knowing full-well that the occupant is one of those shoot first, don't bother to ask questions later types. There's an empty living room directly off the foyer, a fact that she notes as she moves down the hall, finding herself in a massive dining room slash kitchen, the former occupied by two large men with guns. She doesn't even blink as she shoots one and then the other with her silenced pistol, both of their large bodies crashing to the floor. It's then that she feels the barrel of a weapon prod into her spine and she tenses, waiting for a bullet to end her life. Instead, she hears a modulated, smooth voice in her ear, a voice that she hasn't heard that close to her in quite a while.

"Your concern for your daughter has made you sloppy, Nani. You're usually much more cautious." Wo Fat sounds amused even as the gun in her back warns her not to move while he takes the weapon from her hand. "I don't think I've ever seen you kick down a door before. It's very refreshing." Against all her better instincts, she turns around, the gun pressing into her ribs this time and faces the crime lord.

"Leave my daughter alone, Wo Fat." She grits out, meeting his gaze dead on. "I'll kill you if you touch her." The sometimes employer of her team arches an eyebrow at her even as a slight smile creases his mouth.

"This may be the first time that I've ever seen you so…" he pauses as if searching for the right word. "Sentimental. I wasn't even aware that you were involved in her life." The words sting, but Nani tries not to show it. She fails, however, because Wo Fat is a master at manipulation and can make anything sting. Wo Fat studies her face for a moment before giving her a slight nod. The gun vanishes from her ribs and she is momentarily surprised as he presses her own weapon back into her hand.

"I have a proposal for you, Nani." He says, turning his back on her and walking towards the kitchen. For the slightest moment, she imagines shooting him, but just barely stops herself. He's not a target, he's apparently not a threat, he's even potentially offering her a job. She likes to think that the fact that they have a personal history together is not a factor in her decision. He pauses in the doorway.

"Are you coming?"

* * *

 

**4\. With Legs Like That- Zebrahead**

Danny looks up as a shadow falls across his head, smiling when he sees Layla standing behind him and Steve, looking freshly-showered in board-shorts and a bikini top. Chin is standing behind her, also looking beach ready, something that Danny is more than happy to let them take care of.

"You gonna surf, Danno?" Layla asks, leaning down to kiss him on the cheek and then turning to do the same to her father.

"Oh, yeah, kid. Look at me, I'm practically ready to hit the waves right now." He says, gesturing down at his slacks, button-down and tie. She giggles, gently ruffling his hair.

"Aw… Dad, Danno's not being fun." She pouts and Steve turns to Danny.

"You makin' my little girl sad, Danny?" Steve says, narrowing his eyes. Knowing he's being teased, Danny mock-scowls at the teenager who bats her long dark eyelash at him with an innocence that he knows it totally fake.

"Me? Never," Danny says, reaching behind him and pulling Layla around the corner of the bench, plopping her down on his lap. "For this little _bambina_ here, I would slay a dragon with one hand tied behind my back."

"Oh, yeah? Well, for this young lady," Chin breaks in, going down on one knee in the sand in front of them and taking Layla's hand in his. "I would surf with Great White Sharks dressed like a steak." Layla is laughing so hard that tears are starting to form at the corners of her eyes.

"Oh, yeah?" Danny challenges, knowing that this is just what Layla needs right now. "I would challenge her father to a duel…" he pauses for dramatic effect. "While wearing a bandana over my eyes," Layla's shrieks of laughter ring out over the beach as he and Chin continue their game of one-upmanship and for a moment, none of the members of the Five-0 community have any worries in the world.

* * *

 

**5\. Even Now- Caitlin and Will**

Steve thinks it'a testament to his willpower that he doesn't shoot the brunette woman standing out on the lanai, the soft breeze ruffling her dark hair. He very carefully puts his duffel bag on the kitchen counter before walking out the French doors, stopping next to her at the railing.

"View hasn't changed." Nani says, giving him a smile that is eerily familiar to the one that he sees daily on his daughter's face. He doesn't reply, just stares at her, waiting for an explanation.

"I saw Layla," she says as if it was a peace offering.

"Yeah, I know. I felt the goose egg on the back of her goddamn head, Nani." He snaps, unable to contain his anger any longer. "What the hell were you thinking? She's not a target, she's not a combatant… she's a fucking teenage girl!" his voice rings out over the sand.

"She surprised me, Steve. It was instinct, I'm sorry!" Nani snaps back and suddenly, it's like they're both teenagers again, fighting in the living room of her father's house while their newborn daughter sleeps in a crib in the other room. He turns away from her, staring out at the ocean, trying to keep his anger under control.

"What do you want, Nani?" he asks, not looking at her. She leans against the railing next to him, tucking her loose hair behind her ear.

"I'm leaving tomorrow. I have a…" she pauses and there's a hint of something – regret? – in her tone. "I have a new job lined up and the employer is insistent that I start right away."

"She knows you're on the island, Nani. Are you at least going to say goodbye?" he doesn't add the "this time", but it's implied. Nani doesn't exactly flinch, but the look on her face is enough of a response for him.

"Go." He says, struggling as his anger comes rising to the surface again. "Get the hell out of here. Stay the hell away from me and stay the fuck away from my daughter!" He turns on her, using his large size to force her back towards the double doors of the lanai. "I don't ever want to see you again and neither does Layla."

The look of anger and hurt on his ex-girlfriend's face before she turns to walk away is one that Steve is familiar with. It's the same look that he's seen on Layla's face whenever she hears that her mother has been on the Island and hasn't come to see her.


	24. Ua Hiki Mai Kapalena Pau

**1\. So She Dances- Josh Groban**

Steve is awake when he hears his daughter's bedroom door open. He glances at the clock, noting the 0630 time and pushes the blankets off, reaching for the t-shirt on the floor as he quietly goes to his bedroom door just in time to watch the top of Layla's dark head disappear down the stairs. He waits a few beats before he follows, avoiding the middle stair that squeaks, following her out onto the lanai and then down onto the beach. His daughter is wearing one of those short clingy dresses that she sometimes practices in, her dark hair is in a long braid and she's barefoot. This is not typical behavior for her.

Steve hangs back in the shadow of the trees as Layla stops on the hard-packed sand just before the water's edge and stands there, looking out at the water for a few moments before she raises her hands above her head and then ever so slowly she raises up on her toes, the muscles of her calves flexing as she does so. For almost an entire year when she was about five, Layla had taken ballet before she decided she hated all things ballet and that ballerinas were the spawn of Satan. He'd forgotten that period of 10 months when she insisted on wearing nothing but tutus and ballet slippers and made him learn how to do a ballerina bun.

Layla balances gracefully on her left leg, extending the right leg behind her until her knee is straight holding it until she's a silhouette against the rising sun and Steve feels his heart catch in his throat with the realization that this beautiful strong young woman is his daughter. He moves forward on instinct, coming to a stop just before the wet sand and sits down, burying his toes in the sand. There are silent tears running down Layla's face as she moves so gracefully that it makes Steve's heart ache. He leans forward, putting his elbows on his knees and silently watches as his daughter dances.

He doesn't know how long he sits there, but eventually he can see the tremor of exhaustion in her limbs and he stands, holding out a hand. Her dress is soaked with sweat and her hair is coming out of its braid as she comes to him, pressing her face into his chest, her arms wrapping around him. He kisses the top of her head and then leans down enough to whisper in her ear.

"I love you, Layla. I will always love you and I will always be there for you. I promise that I will never, ever leave you."

* * *

 

**2\. Chasing Pavements- Adele**

Danny stirs at the sharp intake of breathe and when he blearily opens his eyes, he sees Layla standing next to the bed, a hand over her mouth and an expression of horror on her face. His limbs feel like lead, but he still manages to get one arm up, motioning her to come over to the bed. She comes over and sits on the edge of the bed, looking scared. She hesitantly reaches a hand out and puts it on his chest as if to reassure herself that he's there, that he's still breathing. Danny smiles at her, still sleepy and gestures for her to give him a hug. She carefully leans in and kisses his cheek before resting her head on his shoulder, one arm across his stomach. He dozes off after that, not quite fully asleep, but out of it enough to not feel when Layla carefully disentangles herself and with another kiss to the cheek, leaves the hospital room.

When he wakes up again, still bleary, she's curled up in the chair by the window, eyes closed, her chest slowly rising and falling with the rhythm of someone who is deeply asleep. Danny just lies there, watching her, wondering what she's dreaming about as one of her hands twitches. He's momentarily distracted by a nurse coming in, her pale pink scrubs looking rumpled and he thinks that maybe it's the end of her shift. The nurse glances at Layla as she records his vitals, her fingers cool against the flesh of his skin when she takes his pulse.

"Girlfriend?" she asks, meeting his gaze. Danny chuckles then coughs. It's a few moments before he can reply and the nurse wordlessly hands him the plastic cup of water sitting on the bedside tray. He drinks, the cold liquid like a balm on his sore throat.

"Best friend's daughter," he says, the words coming automatically and then he makes a mental note to never tell Steve that he uttered those words.

"She's beautiful." The nurse says, making a few notations on his chart and then putting it back at the foot of the bed, giving Layla another look.

"Yeah, her Dad has to beat the boys away with a stick." Danny says, smiling as Layla stirs in her sleep, one hand coming up to clumsily scratch the tip of her nose before she settles back down and her body relaxes. The nurse laughs and tells him if he needs anything to use his call button. Danny settles back down on the bed, exhausted even after that small interaction, and watches Layla until his eyelids drift shut.

The next time he wakes up, Layla is gone and Steve is leading Gracie into the room.

* * *

 

**3\. Baby- Justin Beiber**

"… under the sea? SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS! Absorbent and yellow and porous is he!" Layla can hear the theme song out in the hall and she smiles around the mouth of the Mountain Dew bottle that she's been draining since she bought it down in the gift shop. Her sleep cycle is all kinds of screwed up after running into her mother. She's running on adrenaline and caffeine right now and the combination seems to be working so far.

"Layla!" Grace is up and running the minute that she steps into the room and Layla bends down to accept the flying hug. She smiles at Danny who still looks tired, but at least he's isn't as pale as he first was. He grins back.

"So how are the Williams' doing?" she asks, dropping into the ugly floral print chair by the wall, letting Grace climb into her lap.

"Danno's tired, but we're watching Spongebob." Grace says, her small hands dancing all over Layla's face, turning her head so she can see the turtle earrings that she's wearing, tugging her head down so she can smell the flower in her hair. Layla stays pliant through the whole thing, letting the little girl do whatever she wants.

"So, what's on the menu for today?" Danny says, once Grace is done inspecting her and has returned her attention to Spongebob. Layla sighs as she glances at the watch on her wrist.

"Well, I'm just stopping by for a little while before I head to the studio for a marathon practice session. Ryan's pissed at me for missing like the last week." She says, rolling her eyes as she remembers the irate tone from her dance instructor. At this Grace turns around and looks at her, big brown eyes full of excitement.

"Mommy says that I can take a dance class if I want to." Then she looks over at Danny as if worried he's going to say no.

"That's great, Monkey," Danny says around a yawn. "You gonna take ballet?" Layla glares at her "uncle" who smiles, even as memories of her own dance on the beach this morning is still fresh in her memory.

"No," Grace shakes her head vehemently, pigtails flying and Layla has to lean back to avoid getting slapped in the face. "I'm gonna take ballroom dancing with my friend Bobby." This time it's Layla's turn to smile as Danny's face melts into a scowl. Before he can start to lecture his daughter about dancing with boys, Layla taps Grace on the shoulder.

"So, I have dance practice in about forty-five minutes… wanna help me braid my hair?" the smile that lights up the little girl's face is answer enough.

* * *

 

**4\. Mayhem- Imelda May**

Chin sees her first, the teenage girl storming along the hallway outside the taskforce suite, her beautiful face contorted into an angry scowl, hands balled into fists at her sides. She yanks the door open so hard he thinks the door handle might come off in her hand. Steve has disappeared back to the interrogation room with Sang Min so Chin steps up to intercept the girl who looks so angry that he thinks he can see steam rising off the top of her head.

"Where the fuck is he?" Chin blinks at the curse word, but puts out an arm to keep her from walking past him.

"Your father just walked a suspect back to the interrogation room. He'll be back out in a second." He says, shooting Danny a look across the room, the diminutive detective looking as confused as he feels.

"Oh, good because that's just who I want to see," Layla snarls, swiftly side-stepping Chin and making as if to follow her father down the hall. Kono quickly steps up, stopping Layla again.

"Layla, your father will be right out. You can't go back there." His cousin says, putting a hand on Layla's shoulder.

"What makes you think it's my father that I want to see?" Layla snaps, shrugging off Kono's hand. The room goes dead silent except for the quiet whir of the computer systems.

"Layla," Danny says and there's a paternal kind of command to his voice that makes the girl turn around, her shoulders tense. "What happened?" there's a beat of silence before Layla sighs.

"Some guy with a knife just made me get him into the building. That's what happened." She says, spitting the words out rapid fire. "I am so fucking tired of the bad guys using me to get at you guys!" her voice is raising with every syllable she utters.

"I can't even come visit my dad at work without someone threatening me!" she's shouting and the only thing that answers is the sound of combat boots moving towards them at a steady clip. Steve bursts into the main area a few seconds later, his eyes darting around for signs of trouble, a look of confusion crossing his face when he sees just Layla and the other members of the task force.

"Layla? What's wrong?" he asks, crossing to his agitated daughter. Chin meets Steve's gaze over the top of the teenager's head and he mouths 'Sang Min'. A thundercloud crosses Steve's face and he crouches, putting his eyes level with his daughter's.

"Did he hurt you, Layla? Are you okay?" he's running his hands down her arms as he speaks, but Chin can already tell that the injuries from Sang Min's latest stunt aren't physical.

"I want to punch him in the face." Layla says and just like that all the anger is gone and she looks like she's struggling not to start laughing. "Can I punch him in the face? I mean with this means and immunity thing you've got going, I should be able to inflict some kind of bodily injury on him and get away with it." For the first time since she entered the room, Chin feels a smile trying to turn up the corners of his mouth. Looking over at Danny, he sees that his co-worker isn't even trying to hide the grin.

"I saw a movie once where they did this thing with a car battery and jumper cables. Can we do that?" she asks and the expression of relief that washes over Steve's face is a feeling clearly felt by everyone else in the room.

* * *

 

**5\. Throw It On Me- Timbaland feat. The Hives**

"That is a lot of mashed potatoes." Steve comments as he leans over his daughter's shoulder, staring down at the fluffy white cloud in the giant pot that she's slowly stirring with a wooden spoon.

"Aw, look. Dad's using his detective skills." Layla laughs, nudging him back with her shoulder. "Grab the big green bowl off the top of the fridge please." Steve laughs at her teasing tone, but follows orders. Layla is just scooping the last of the mountain of potatoes into the bowl when the doorbell rings and Steve pushes out of the kitchen chair. He opens the front door without checking the peep-hole, smiling when he sees Kono, Chin, and Kamekona all standing on his porch, various bowls in their arms, a six pack in one of Chin's hands. Danny had been invited, but had declined the offer so he could spend some time with Rachel and Grace.

"Hey, guys." He says, stepping aside to let them inside. "Layla's in the kitchen, but don't try and offer to help her cook, she'll hit you with a spatula." The three go down the hallway, disappearing into the kitchen where he can hear Layla greet them happily. He starts to close the door when he hears another voice.

"You gonna close the door on me, sailor?" Steve turns back to find Catherine coming up the path, a reusable shopping bag over one shoulder. He grins in surprise, reaching out a hand to pull her into the house and then into a hug, giving her a hello kiss.

"What are you doing here? Not that I'm complaining." He hastily adds, smiling down at her.

"I invited her." A voice says from behind him and Steve turns to see Layla standing in the entryway, face glowing from the heat of the stove, wooden spoon in hand.

"Oh, really?" he asks, faintly suspicious.

"And after dinner, her, Kono and I are gonna kick your guys's butts at Cranium." His daughter announces, a smirk on her face. "So, maybe you shouldn't be so happy to see her." And with that, his daughter sticks her nose in the air and walks back into the kitchen. Steve laughs as he pushes the door shut behind him and Catherine and they walk towards the laughter in the kitchen.


	25. Oia'i'o

**1\. Yeah- Glee cast**

Layla wakes up slowly, loathe to actually become conscious when her bed is the perfect combination of warmth and comfort. She rolls over and the pillow crinkles under her face. Bleary-eyed, she picks her head up and glares at the note in front of her. With a sigh, she sits up, picking up the piece of paper and unfolds it.

_Hey, sweetheart,_

_You were sound asleep this morning, so I didn't wake you up. Have a good day and I'll see you when I get off work tonight. Maybe we can go see a movie. Think about something you want to do and it's yours._

_Love, Dad_

_PS: I left you a surprise downstairs. Check the microwave._

She smiles as she rubs sleep from her eyes, throwing the blankets back and climbing to her feet. The house is pleasantly quiet, something she quickly remedies by plugging her I-pod into the docking station in her room, filling the air with the familiar strains of one of her favorite songs.

Layla dances her way through her shower, getting dressed and sloppily braiding her hair before she leaps down the stairs, sliding into the kitchen in her socked feet a la Tom Cruise. Opening the microwave reveals a bag of malsadas with a smiley face drawn on the bag and another note that says " _check the fridge"._ The fridge yields an ice-cold Mountain Dew and she rolls her eyes at her father's attempts to spoil her because he seems to be under the impression that she doesn't eat junk food unless he allows her too.

She sits out on the lanai as she plans out her day, scheduling everything around a two-hour practice with Ryan at 10. She thinks that maybe she should finish reading _Beowulf_ for English class at some point today, but the thought makes her wrinkle her nose and she decides that the brand-new copy of _The Hunger Games_ sitting on her bedside table takes precedence over that.

* * *

 

**2\. Papa Don't Preach- Kelly Osbourne**

" _It's my fault that she's dead_." Danny stops dead at the self-censure in his partner's voice, the hatred that is written in the lines of his shoulder and the way that his fists are clenched at his sides. He has exactly 5.3 seconds to take all this in because there's the sound of a herd of elephants pounding down the steps and then Layla bursts into the front room, running straight for him. She throws herself into his arms and he staggers a bit under the onslaught.

"Danny," she breathes against his neck and there's a faint sound of hysteria to her tone and the feeling of damp against his neck and Danny pulls back in confusion to find her in tears. Steve is glaring at the two of them, that irrational anger from earlier finding a target. "Don't let him do it."

"Don't let him do- Layla, what's wrong? Steve?" he implores both of them because his head is swimming with the implications of a rift between the usually inseparable pair.

"Leave him out of this, Layla. It's my decision and its final." In response to her father's harsh tone, Layla's arms tighten around Danny and he automatically glares at Steve for making her react like this.

"Someone tell me what's going on. _Now._ " He uses enough force in his voice to let his partner know that he's not fucking around here.

"He wants to send me away." Layla says, shooting a reproachful look at her father. "He already bought the plane ticket." Danny looks at his partner, torn between incredulity and comprehension.

"What if it was Grace, Danny?" even after the incident with the deMarch kid, Danny doesn't think he's ever heard his partner sound so wrecked. "I'm not putting her in the line of fire. You know what he did to my parents. I won't let him do it to my little girl too." Layla is tense in his arms as she awaits his say in the matter and Danny wonders when it came to this, when he and his partner were being forced to part with their families because of their jobs.

"Layla…" he trails off, but apparently his intent is evident in his voice because she jerks away from him, squaring off against the two of them.

"I am _not_ leaving." She says, her voice ragged, eyes filled with tears. "I don't care what you say. I'm not leaving and you can't make me!" those last four words are thrown at the two men in a near scream and without waiting for a response, she turns and vanishes back up the stairs, the sound of a door slamming echoing down the stairs a few seconds later.

"Fuck," Steve whispers and sinks onto the couch as if his legs have suddenly turned to rubber. Danny runs a hand across his face as the faint sound of sobbing floats down from above.

"I can't lose her, Danny. I _won't_ lose her." Steve says. "And if that means that she hates me for the rest of her life… then so be it."

* * *

**3\. Cat and Mouse- Red Jumpsuit Apparatus**

The Mercury rumbles under him as he tears down the highway, tension curling his hands into claws around the steering wheel, his shoulders up around his ears. Steve McGarrett is on the run and it's bothering him how easy it is for him to slip into this role. He glances briefly down at the cell-phone on the seat next to him, knowing that part of the tension is from what he has to do next.

The thought chokes him, making his heart jerk in his chest and Steve has to pull the car over to the shoulder as he tries to get a grip on his emotions, tears pricking the back of his eyelids. He knows this is his only option, but that doesn't make it hurt any less. Without opening his eyes, he picks up the phone, typing in a familiar phone number. The phone rings three times before it is picked up by an answering machine, offering a generic message and then it beeps in his ear.

"Call me." He bites out tersely and hangs up, putting the phone on the dashboard. He waits, staring blindly out the window at the ocean view to his left, tears blurring his vision. The phone rings again, less than five minutes later and he reaches for it, thumbing the talk button.

"Steve, what's going on?" Catherine's voice is concerned. "Is everything okay? Is Layla okay?" he finds himself hoping that her concern is real because he doesn't even want to consider the connotations of what he's about to do.

"Cat, I'm on the run." He cuts right to the chase. "There's a warrant out for my arrest. Wo Fat is having me framed. I need you to get Layla off the island as soon as you can before he gets her. You can't let him get to her, Cat. I need you to take her to Mary's. She's living in San Diego. I'm sure you can find her." There's a silence after he says this and then Cat is speaking to someone in the background before she comes back on the phone, her voice quieter.

"I won't let him touch her, Steve." There's resoluteness to her voice that he doesn't remember ever having heard before when speaking about Layla. "I promise. What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to take care of what I need to take care of." He says, his voice choking. "If something happens to me, she needs to go to Mary, okay?" There's another pause.

"Okay, Steve. I'll get her to Mary." and with that Cat hangs up and Steve puts the phone down, dries his eyes off on the sleeve of his shirt, and pulls back onto the highway, driving towards the one person he knows can help him right now.

He is completely unaware that his entire conversation with Catherine has just been listened to by someone else.

* * *

 

**4\. Turning Tables- Adele**

Trevor waits in the black SUV across the street, watching the final patrol officer trickle out of the McGarrett house, carrying the last box of evidence. Nani's daughter briefly appears in the doorway only to slam the door shut. The officers drive off, a procession of black and white vehicles and Trevor glances down at his watch. 1:13 am, as good a time as any. He opens the door to the vehicle and quickly crosses the street, making his way up the path to the front door as he slips his hand into his right pocket. Trevor knocks on the front door with his left and the sound of feet striding across the wooden floor can be heard from inside. Layla yanks the door open with an angry "what?", anger that disappears into confusion as she takes in his all black clothes and more importantly the black gloves on his one visible hand.

Before the girl can register what's going on, Trevor is inside, kicking the door shut, pulling her tight against his chest as he pulls out the syringe, pressing the needle into the side of her neck and depressing the plunger. Layla struggles against him for all of ten seconds before the powerful narcotic in syringe takes effect and she goes limp in his arms. Trevor pulls out the syringe, setting it on the table just inside the door and picks the teenager up bridal style, carrying her into the living room and gently putting her down on the couch. Unconscious, there's even more of a resemblance to Nani, the dark lashes pronounced against her tan skin, that cupid bow of a mouth parted in sleep. Trevor sighs, morals surfacing that he thought he'd buried a long time ago.

Shaking his head to clear the troublesome thoughts, Trevor turns towards the stairs and heads up them, stopping at the second bedroom on the right, pushing the door open to reveal the bedroom of the girl downstairs. He pulls his Blackberry from his pocket and scrolls down to the list that Nani had given him earlier this evening. He finds a massive duffel bag under the bed and begins to pack, taking clothes off hangers and out of drawers, books off shelves and the I-Pod off the dock on her desk, hunting through the bathroom for shampoo, tooth-brush, and lotion. Nani wants her to have things that are comforting to her as if that will somehow ease her into the fact that she's being kidnapped by her own mother. The irony is not lost on Trevor. It takes a little digging to find the last item on the list, but he eventually finds the worn-out pink penguin buried in the bedclothes and sticks it into the top of the duffel bag before zipping the entire thing closed.

Trevor takes one last look around the room, trying to ignore the tightness in his chest. He carefully closes the door behind him and goes back downstairs, the duffel bag bumping against his hip as he does so. Layla is still on the couch, her breath slow and easy. He goes first to the syringe on the table, slipping the cover back on the needle and putting it in his pocket before he goes over to the couch and picks up the unconscious girl again. She's a nothing weight in his arms, her head resting against his chest as he carries her out into the night to the waiting SUV. He carefully lays her out on the back-seat, pulling a blanket up over her body before buckling her in and putting the duffel on the floorboard below her. He runs back to the house and turns off all the lights, closing and locking the front door behind him as he leaves. The SUV rumbles to life as he puts the key in the ignition and with one last glance over his shoulder at Layla, he pulls away from the curb and down the street.

* * *

 

**5\. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye- Natalie Cole**

Three hours ago, Layla had woken up, just as they were reaching cruising elevation. She'd been disoriented from the pressure change and the drugs and the sight of her mother and had promptly thrown up all over the floor.

Two hours and forty minutes ago, she'd tried to punch Trevor, the mercenary not having any of it. He'd pinned her – gently by Trevor's standards – to the floor, both arms behind her back as she kicked and fought and carried on while the rest of the team looked on, none of them looking too confident in Nani's mother skills as she knelt next to her daughter, trying to calm her down.

Two hours ago, Nani had played the carefully-edited tape of Steve's conversation with his new girlfriend for her daughter, knowing that her tech guy, Allen had created a flawless recording that made it seem like Steve had called Nani and asked her to take Layla.

One hour ago, Layla had cried herself to sleep in the corner of the cabin the farthest away that she could get from Nani and Trevor, wrapped tightly around a combination of one of her father's t-shirts and Mr. Boo, who's seen better days.

Now, she's curled up on the bench seat, her tear-stained face pressed against the smooth leather of the seat, a blanket from one of the overhead compartments laid over her. Nani sits next to her, smoothing her hand over the dark hair that is so like her own, brushing the silky locks out of Layla's face and occasionally brushing her hand down the side of her face. Her daughter has been through so much in the last two weeks and while Nani is loathe to admit that some of it is her own fault, she knows that it's about time that she starts taking responsibility for her actions. Somewhere towards the front of the private jet comes the sound of the cockpit door opening, but Layla doesn't look up even as someone crosses in front of her and across from her.

"She looks just like you." Wo Fat says and Nani finally looks up. He is watching her with an expressionless face and finds herself looking away from his cold eyes. "I understand that she is a dancer."

"Yeah," Nani says, reaching down to tug the blanket a little higher around Layla's shoulders even thought the cabin is comfortably warm. "She's beautiful when she dances." Her daughter shifts in her sleep as if she's aware that she's the topic of discussion, making a little sound under her breath. Nani leans down and kisses her daughter's temple, whispering a few strains of the lullaby that she used to sing to her in her crib into her ear. The trick apparently still works, however many years later. Layla's face relaxes and her breathing evens out again. Aware that Wo Fat is observing everything, Nani sits back up and looks at him.

"Thank you," she says, putting a hand on Layla's shoulder. "For giving me back my daughter."

"And thank you," he responds, a smirk curling over his mouth. "For helping me frame your ex-husband for murder." The stark contrast between the two expressions of gratitude hangs in the air.

* * *

 

_ Prologue _

**_6\. Won't Go Home Without You- Maroon 5_ **

_Danny pulls into Steve's driveway, head spinning in circles, which is probably why he doesn't notice the car parked behind Layla's Toyota. He only notices that someone else is there when the front door of the house opens and Catherine comes out, dressed in her uniform, a panicked look on her face._

" _Danny!" the fear in her voice spurs him out of his stupor and he jogs up the front walk to meet her in the doorway. "I can't find Layla. Steve called me and told me to get her to Mary in San Diego, but she's not here, Danny! She's not answering her phone and I even tried to call her aunt, but she hasn't seen her either." A feeling of nausea rises in Danny's throat as he moves past Catherine, taking the steps two at a time, races the short distance to Layla's bedroom and pushes the door open. Someone's been in here, drawers are open, things are missing from hangers and… he steps over to the door, searching through the blankets. Mr. Boo isn't in his usual place of honor atop Layla's pillow._

" _Fuck," Danny yells, slamming his fist into the wall above her bed, the pain shocking him as he pulls back bloodied and plaster dusted knuckles. He's dimly aware of Catherine in the doorway behind him as he stands next to Layla's empty bed, staring down at the damage to his hand._

" _Where is she, Danny?" Catherine asks, sounding on the verge of tears._

" _I don't know." He answers, hoping against hope that she won't ask the next question, not wanting to have to verbalize a response. It appears, however, that luck isn't on his side as Catherine breathes in deeply before asking._

" _What are you going to tell Steve?"_


End file.
